


What We Have Built

by MapleMeSyrup



Series: Tales of Gold [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Arc 2 is pretty angsty, Author is bad at summeries, Biting, Daniel is precious and i love writing him, Description of child abuse, Ecto-Penis (Undertale), Ecto-Tongue (Undertale), Ecto-dick, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, First Time, Flashbacks, Fluff, Frisk is not mute, I'll add some tags on the way, Literally no fluff until later, Monsterphobia, Nipple Licking, PTSD, Post-Pacifist Route, Praise Kink, Racism, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader-Insert, Sensitive bones, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Some Minor OCs - Freeform, Sort of? - Freeform, Torture, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, author is not good at coming up with puns, biting kink, first undertale fic, lots of fluff i promise, not a very punny person sorry, reader is female, skelesins
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-08
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 02:12:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 45
Words: 110,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6781168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MapleMeSyrup/pseuds/MapleMeSyrup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a year since the barrier broke and you are finally able to move out of your shitty apartment. After weeks of searching, you find a three bedroom house in need of a roommate. After doing some research and seeing the pictures, you immediately fell in love with the place. Everything about it was perfect. Well, except the monsters who own the place. Out of all the monsters in the Underground, why did it have to be the skeleton brothers?</p><p>You weigh the pros and cons. On one hand, you can move out of that god awful, roach infested apartment. On the other hand, you have to live with the one person who can destroy you. The answer is so simple. But your heart isn't. Also, cockroaches should be burning in hell.</p><p>Arc One: Justice (Chapters 1-20)----<b>Completed</b><br/>Arc Two: Righteous (Chapters 21-40)----<b>Completed </b><br/>Arc Three: Integrity (Chapters 41-?)----<b> In Progress </b></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mt. Ebott

**Author's Note:**

> Here you go. My first Undertale fic. Leave a comment and let me know what you think! Any suggestions would be helpful too!

Every child had their own reasons for climbing Mt. Ebott. You were no exception. The climb wasn’t as hard as you expected, but then again, you might’ve been too wrapped up in your own thoughts to notice the soreness in your legs. Of course you heard the stories; every person who climbed the cursed mountain disappear forever. And that is exactly what you wanted to do.

You didn’t even notice your fall until you landed on a bed of golden flowers. You laid there for a while, not comprehending what had just happened. A soft voice pulled you back to reality.

“Oh my, are you alright my child?” you quickly sat up and searched for the source of the voice.

When you noticed the large goat woman, you jumped back in fear, your right hand instinctively clutching your chest.

“Do not be alarmed my child. I will not bring you any harm. It seems that you had quite the fall. My name is Toriel, keeper of the ruins. Let me heal your wounds,” the goat monster extended her paw slowly so she wouldn’t startle you.

You were skeptical of this monster’s kindness. You glanced around you and couldn’t find any exit. It looked like the only way out was to follow the monster. If you happened to find the exit, you’d make a run for it. You reached out apprehensively. Toriel helped you to your feet but let you go when you pulled back. She smiled at you and instructed you to follow her.

You did your best to keep up; luckily she guided you through the puzzles slowly. Your left arm was broken and so was your right wrist. Your left ankle was sprained and much to your dismay, you had to hang onto the monster’s purple dress for support despite your distrust. Your back had the most damage. Even if the flowers broke your fall, you still had some nasty bruises that will take a while to heal.

After wandering the ruins for what felt like hours, Toriel and you reached her quaint home where she showed you your room. Toriel left you to get some medical supplies and food which gave you some time to assess the room. Your bedroom was painted red and was neatly organized with children’s toys and books tucked away in small bookcases and shelves. Your sister would’ve loved it. You flinched.

Guilt flooded through you like a wave, causing you feel your sins crawling on your back. You were such a coward. So stupid. So... **SELFISH**. How could you have done this to your sister? The one who you claim to love more than anything in this god forsaken world? You left her. You left her to DIE. You wanted to die.

You choke out a sob. Toriel found you like that, crying on the floor, muttering incoherent things. She laid you on your bed and fixed your injuries while whispering sweet words that you wanted to savor.

“It will be okay, my child. You will be happy here. I will keep you safe,” Toriel said and kissed your forehead.

A foreign feeling stirred within you. Is this what a mother was suppose to be? Exhausted by your grief, you fell asleep.

* * *

 

When you awoke, you felt light again, ready to take on the world. You checked your wounds. All your injuries were miraculously healed; you faintly remember Toriel saying monster food had some healing properties. Still, you were a little sore. You threw your blanket off of you and stepped into the hallway. Unlike when you first arrived, all the lights were turned off, the darkness gave you chills. When you listened closely, you can hear the soft snores of the goat monster in the room next to yours. It was so damn quiet, you can hear your heart beating in your chest.

You thought about your sister again and you felt another bullet go through your heart. You couldn’t just leave her there. Not with your drunken mother. Maybe you could bring her here. You could save your sister from your broken family and live here together with Toriel. The three of you could be the family that you always wanted. This thought filled you with determination.

You debated on waking up Toriel and tell her your plan, but you had a feeling the goat monster would not approve nor allow you to leave. So you gathered your strength and searched for an exit. Finally you found a grand door with some kind symbol at the end of the long hallway in the basement. You thought about your sister and with one hard push, the doors swung open revealing white.

You never even made it to Snowdin.


	2. Enter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You run into some familar faces and you meet the skelebros

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come check out my tumblr!  
> maplemesyrup.tumblr.com

You wake up with beads of sweat rolling down your forehead despite the cold. Wrapping a thin blanket around yourself, you breathed heavily to hold back the tears. The memory happened many years ago. You tried to focus on your surroundings. Creaky floors. Moldy walls. Itchy bed. That’s right. You are in your apartment. You’re no longer in the Underground. In that wretched place. You are alive. 

You checked your phone beside you and upon seeing it was only eight am, you groaned. Two hours before your shift at your waitressing job starts. Might as well get up now. You reached under your bed for a metallic silver box that you found in a dumpster a while ago. You lifted up the lid and smiled when you saw the money inside. 

All your savings and hard work in your hands. You finally have enough to move out of this place. You shuffle through the green paper until you found a flyer that you saw posted at the supermarket a few weeks ago. It is an ad looking for a roommate in a three bedroom home. Despite never physically checking the place out, you know that this is the place for you. Nice kitchen, spacious living room, and furnished bedroom. Not to mention affordable. You know from experience that something good like this always comes with a price, but you are willing to put with anything at this point. Cockroaches do not make good roommates. 

Since you have two hours to spare, you spent the first hour getting ready and the second hour packing. It’s not like you have much anyway; some clothes that you may or may not have stolen, some books, and of course your favorite (and only) leg pillow. Huh, you were able to stuff everything into one box. This is going to be an easy move. 

At 9:45, you locked up your apartment and faced the humid breeze. It is still a little warm for winter, but nothing you can’t handle. After all, being in the Underground for so long, it is nice to feel the effects of weather again. It’s only a ten minute walk from your apartment to your work so you took the time to daydream and relax before taking on the grueling work. 

You wave to your coworker as you clocked in and attached your name tag.  
You were getting into the rhythm of your rounds when a loud female voice captured the attention of everyone in the diner. 

“Alright Alphys! You do know the best places to eat! Everything here looks delicious!” the fish monster’s voice rang out.

“Undyne please lower your voice,” Alphys attempted to calm down her friend. 

Meg, the hostess seated the two in your area, not even masking her disgust before shooting you a look of pity. Anger boiled in you at the implication but you push it away for the customer’s sake. 

“Hello, my name is ___ and I will be your server today. Would you like to start out with something to drink?” You smiled when you noticed their hands intertwined with each others. A memory stirred in you and you can’t help but beam at them. 

“I-I’ll h-have a w-water please,” Alphys ordered shyly.

“Bring me a coke would ya!” Undyne ordered with the confidence but in a friendly manner. 

“Coke and water coming right up,” you said and went to get their drinks. 

When you returned the couple ordered some sandwiches and you happily placed in the order. You scrambled through the rest of your patrons when your boss approached you. 

“___, did you serve those two monsters over there?” your boss asked. 

“Uhm, yes?” you answer. 

Your boss patted your shoulders sympathetically, “I’m sorry you had to do that. I’ll go handle this right now.”

“Wait what?” you hurry to catch up with your boss, but he was already making a scene. 

“We are a human ONLY establishment. Monsters are not welcomed here!” his words dripped with venom.

“We have as much right to be here as much as the next person!” Undyne growled, her fingers twitch as if she was getting ready to summon a spear. Beside her, Alphys did her best to console her girlfriend, but her efforts are lost. 

“We don’t serve filth like you! Get out of my diner!” your boss shot back. 

Undyne pulled back her arm, getting ready to punch his face, but Alphys pulled her back, “U-Undyne please! I-It’s n-not worth it! L-Let’s just g-go!”

The fish warrior let out an angry huff before following her girlfriend out the door. Your boss returned to his office and everyone else resumed their activities.  
You sigh, wishing you could’ve intervened but you needed this job. You walk over to the empty booth and notice a coat hanging where Alphys was seated. You weren’t able to defend them, but the least you can do is return their coat. 

You quickly grab the jacket and ran outside, calling after the monsters.

“Hey! Wait!” you shout. 

Undyne and Alphys stopped and the taller woman glared at you irritably. 

“What, ruining our lunch wasn’t good enough for you humans?” 

Her words stung, but you didn’t flinch. Instead you turned to Alphys and held up the coat, “I think this is yours.”

The yellow monster opened her mouth in surprise while Undyne’s expression shifted from a glare to curiosity.  
Noticing the change, you spoke, “Look, I’m really sorry about what happened back there. Humans can be assholes, even to each other. But if you guys ever need anything, I’ll be happy to help!”

You know it would be a bad idea to get close to these two, but you don’t really expect them to take up your offer. 

Suddenly, Undyne burst out laughing.

“Humans are assholes, but some are alright. We’ll see you around!” 

You wave goodbye and return to the diner. Meg raised a brow at you, but didn’t say anything. Good. You don’t know if you can handle anymore racist banter today. The rest of your shift is uneventful but your irritation at your job didn’t go away.  
\------------------------------------------  
A few hours later, you hung up your uniform and checked your phone. 3 pm. You can do this. You are finally going to visit the house of your dreams. You walk to the nearest bus station and plugged in your headphones as you took a seat. The ride wasn’t very long, but it was better than walking. 

Standing in front of the two story house, you can’t help but feel a twinge of nervousness. What if the owners didn’t like you? What if they already found someone else to rent it to? You’re here so might as well try anyway. You clutch the flyer in your hand and knocked on the door. Immediately you can hear muffled voices inside and shuffling. The door swung open and a tall skeleton with a nasally voice stands before you.

Oh no. 

“HUMAN! WHAT CAN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, DO FOR YOU?!” Papyrus beamed. 

Your eyes widened in fear and you took a step back. This can’t be happening! Out of all the monsters and people in the world, why did it have to be the skeleton brothers?! You felt a crack of energy bursting from your fingertips but luckily it isn’t enough to draw the skeleton’s attention. You have to calm down. Deep breaths. Still, you should leave right now. This is not a good idea. 

“I saw your ad-” you said, mentally slapping yourself. THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.

“OH YES THE AD!” Papyrus interrupted,”BROTHER! GET YOUR LAZYBONES OFF THE COUCH! THIS HUMAN WANTS TO LIVE WITH US!”

Papyrus motion you to come inside, you follow hesitantly. 

“THIS IS THE LIVING ROOM! AND THAT’S MY LAZY BROTHER ON THE COUCH! HE LIKES TO SPEND MOST OF HIS TIME THERE!”

“sup . i’m sans.” the smaller skeleton waved, not bothering to move from his comfortable position. 

You introduce yourself and force a smile. Papyrus continued to give you a tour around the house and it was even better in person. Everything was so tidy (except for the sock by the couch which probably belonged to Sans) and doesn’t smell of dust and mold. You grimaced. This is a much better place to live than your apartment. Too bad it just cannot be. 

“AND THIS WOULD BE YOUR ROOM!” Papyrus pointed to the room on the first floor.

“This is really great Papyrus,” your voice strained.  
“WELL, SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE IN?!” Papyrus looked at you full of hope. 

You realized that you are probably not the first to check the place out. The others were probably scared off by Papyrus’s loud personality or the fact that he and his brothers were monsters. Still, you know you can’t stay here. It’s too dangerous. Too dangerous to be this close to Sans. He could find out. He can destroy you. Even if he does not kill you, you would have to search for a new place to live all over again. Your apartment is a piece of shit but,at least it offers protection. You glance at the smaller skeleton flipping through channels on the tv. You know he is listening despite acting aloof. 

“I would love to move in, Papyrus,” your words betray you before you knew it. 

“WOWIE! DID YOU HEAR THAT SANS! WE FINALLY GET A ROOMMATE! I’LL GO MAKE SOME OF MY FAMOUS SPAGHETTI TO CELEBRATE!” Papyrus dashed into the kitchen, pots and pans already banging each other. 

You are definitely going to regret this. But for some reason, you don't seem to care.


	3. Bones and Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You foodgasm in front of Sans and someone has a few bones to pick with you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo chapter 3! Three chapters in one week? Off to a strong start I might say. Anyway I found a future plot hole that I forgot to address in chapter one but luckily I was able to fix it in this chapter. Also my pun game is so fucking weak I'M SORRY. That's part of the reason why Sans doesn't have that much dialogue. I feel like everything he says has to be a pun or at least a set up of one but eh. I'll try harder. Besides it's only PART of the reason. Hehe see you guys in the next chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> [ My Tumblr ](http://maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

Since all of your belongings are already packed in one box, you move in with the brothers the same day. Papyrus is kind enough to drive you back home in his red convertible, so you sit shotgun while Papyrus chattered animately.

“THIS IS SO GREAT, ___! IT’S GOING TO BE LIKE A SLEEPOVER EVERY DAY!”

Lounging in the back seat, Sans chuckled,”you _bed_ -cha, Paps,”

“SANS!”

You giggle at the brother’s antics. You’ve always known about Papyrus’s inflated dynamic and Sans’s comedic laziness, but to be able to participate, to be able to actually feel it...well...it made you appreciate how wonderful life is.

Papyrus parked along the curb in front of your apartment building. You convince Papyrus to wait in the car with his brother since you only had one box to carry anyway. You take the elevator up and unlock your door and grab your possessions, sneezing from the dust in the air. As you stepped out, you can’t help but feel nostalgic.

This has been your home for the past year and even with its broken fixtures and moldy walls, it was peaceful and comfortable. But the quiet suffocated you. Living here, you had no friends, no family. It was just you and only you. At least now living with the skeleton brothers, you can consider them...friends? Or at least Papyrus. There will be noise and laughter and joy, but you know that the risk of your secret being discovered is ever so present. Still, this is worth it.

When you returned to the car, Papyrus eagerly takes your box and place it in the back seat with Sans. You felt your stomach growl loud enough that the brothers noticed.

“HUMAN! WHY IS YOUR STOMACH MAKING THAT NOISE!” Papyrus looked at you concerned.

“She’s just hungry, Paps. Turn left here, I know a place,” Sans said.

Soon the three of you are seated at Grillbys, every patron greeting Sans familiarly.  

“Grillby, this is ____. She’s going to be moving in with us,” Sans introduced.

“Nice to meet you, Grillby,” you smile shyly. You could actually feel the warmth of his flames, reminding you of a bonfire on a cold beach.

When your food arrives, you dig into your burger eagerly. You moan in pleasure, earning you a look from Sans. You’re pretty sure if he had eyebrows he’d be raising them.

“This is a really good burger,” you said, trying to cover your embarrassment.

“Make no bones about it. Grillby makes the best burgers around,” Sans squirted the bottle of ketchup directly into his mouth.

“WELL I THINK IT’S NOT AS GOOD AS SPAGHETTI, BUT I CAN SEE WHY YOU ENJOY IT BROTHER” Papyrus comments.

You laugh and pat his back,”I’m sure nothing is as good as your spaghetti, Paps.”

\-----------------------------------

The sudden blast of cold wind threw you back, knocking you to the ground. Was this snow? Why would there be snow in the middle of summer? You get back to your feet and dusted the snow off your shorts then you checked your surroundings, figuring out what to do next. You realized that you were standing on a pathway, leading into the woods. You figured that it could take you to the nearest civilization. A while later, you found a station filled with ketchup and mustard, but no one was there. Weird. You kept walking.

As you walked, a chill crawled up your spine and it definitely wasn’t from the cold. You had a sense that you were being followed, but when you looked, no one was there. You brushed it off as nerves since you were in a strange place after all. Still, everything here felt so unnatural to you. The tree looked like they were all placed there purposely, there was no sky to tell the time or day, and even the snow lack its crisp. You started to miss the comforts of Toriel’s home.

Your mind drifted to Toriel. You felt the punch of guilt in your stomach. She took you in, fed you, healed you, gave you a home, and you leave without telling her? She must be worried sick! No, wait you were coming back. You were coming back with your sister so the three of you can be a family. But...does she even want you back? Did you mistake her politeness for kindness? Why would she even want you? You were a burden, an obstacle, an obligation. Your own parents never cared for you, why would Toriel, someone you’ve known for less than a day, care? After all, she never even asked for your name.

“Excuse me,” a voice interrupted your thoughts.

Upon seeing a tall skeleton with two strips for black tracing in opposite directions from his eye sockets, you screamed and scurried behind a tree as if that would protect you. Had he always been there?

The skeleton man just fixed his gaze on you in amusement. When he spoke, his voice reminded you melting butter, but it offered no comfort.

“Are you lost, child? My name is W.D. Gaster. I can help you.”

Every fiber in your being screamed at you to run. This monster was NOT like Toriel. While the goat monster radiated maternal warmth, this monster’s mere presence made you sick with fear. Gaster stepped closer and your breath hitched. At this point, your instincts took over, and you fled deeper into the woods, straying from the pathway you were following.

You could hear your blood running through you, your heartbeat beating faster than you could remember. You ran until your legs could no longer carry you and collapsed in a clearing. You looked behind to be sure you weren’t followed. When you saw no one there, you dropped your guard a little. You stayed there on your knees, hands numbing from the snow.

It’s ironic isn’t it? A few hours ago, you came here to die, but you just ran for your life.

“Tsk tsk. Don’t you know it’s rude to ignore your elders?” Gaster suddenly appeared in front of you.

Your face turned as white as the bones compiling Gaster’s body.

Before you could run away again, Gaster materialized a bone in front of you and with a swift motion of his hand, impaled it through your right knee.

You screamed when you heard a crunch.

Stars bursted in your vision as sharp pains and pressure coursed throughout your body. You screamed and cried in agony, bending your injured knee out of reflex only causing blood to squirt out in all directions, staining your yellow t-shirt and shorts. Taking deep breaths, you try to remove the foreign object, but at the slightest twitch of the bone, you rolled over when bile spilled out of your mouth.

The entire time, Gaster watched your suffering, his laughs, high pitched and uncontrolled, mixed with your screams. It reminded you of a mad scientist.  The skeleton grabbed the protruding projectile from your knee and gave it a hard twist, causing you to vomit again, getting it all over your hands and your hair. You felt disgusting.

“I think you will behave better from now on,” Gaster looked at you analytically.

How can someone appear so sane and insane at the same time?

“It’s time to go home,” your attacker grabbed your injured leg by the ankle and dragged you through the snow like a rag doll.

You screamed and screamed until you damaged your vocal cords. You screamed for mercy. You screamed for Toriel. You screamed for SOMEONE.

.

.

.

but nobody came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp that went from 0-100 real quick. You guys didn't think this fic is tagged explicit for ONLY the (future) smut did you? 
> 
> Reader's leg injury was inspired by something that actually happened to me. I tore the ligaments in my right knee when I was in 8th grade and had to get 2 surgeries to fix it. My worst nightmare was the idea of something stabbing straight through my knee so thats where this came from.


	4. Spaghetti and Fish Tacos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of San's POV of the last chapter and a little bit of Sans being an ass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this chapter took longer than I expected to write. I started this right after I published chapter three, but I hated how it turned out so I scrapped it and came up with this! I don't have a set updating schedule yet, but I promise there will be a chapter once a week. I also decided to not make Frisk mute because I don't see them that way. After all, how would they have flirted out of the underground? 
> 
> Reader's age is whatever you want them to be, but they were slightly older than Frisk when they fell in the Underground. Frisk's age is also ambiguous. 
> 
>  

Sans doesn’t trust you. He didn’t trust you the moment he saw your expression through the window when Paps greeted you. You looked like you wanted to be anywhere but here, just like the rest of them. At least you have the courtesy to take a look around before you bolt.

But you didn’t. Despite your obvious apprehensiveness around Sans and his brother, you agreed to move in. This is the first time Sans has seen Papyrus so excited over something in a long time and because of that, he decided to let you stay, but he’s going to have to keep a close eye on you. Something about you...just seems off.

Papyrus, being the saint that he is, offers you a ride home to collect your things. You shift uncomfortably but agreed. It’s not like Paps would take no for answer anyway.  You inform the brothers that you don’t have many things so you can move in right away.

There is no way Sans will leave you alone in a car with his brother, so he tagged along, reclined his seat, and watched, waiting for you to show your true self.

But during the car ride, you relaxed around Papyrus, encouraging his rant on how spaghetti is the greatest pasta in the world. You weren’t bothered by the taller skeleton’s constant enthusiasm and talkative nature like most humans were, you were just going with it, maybe even enjoying yourself. And that look on your face...it holds the expression of familar fondness.

Papyrus pulls up to your apartment and you ask the brothers to wait in the car. Sans leans into his brother when you are out of earshot.

“you’re really excited about ___ moving in, huh paps?” Sans asked.

“OF COURSE BROTHER! SHE IS A VERY NICE HUMAN WHO LIKES SPAGHETTI!”

Sans chuckled, but turned serious again,”just be careful around her okay?”

“THAT’S WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT FRISK, AND NOW WE ARE BEST FRIENDS!” Papyrus retorted, “BUT IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY BROTHER I WILL COMPLY!”

“heh. you’re the best paps,”

By the time all three of you are sitting at Grillbys, you are completely at ease around Papyrus, but still flinch when Sans moved too fast or accidently brushed against you. Sans doesn’t really care whether he got along with you, he just cares if you hurt his brother. The smaller skeleton is a pretty good judge of character; he did deliver judgement in the Underground after all. From what he’ve seen today, you are a good person. You treated Papyrus with kindness and didn’t stare rudely at the brothers because of their bodies. That is exactly why something felt off. Unlike all of the humans he met, you aren’t at all fascinated by their bodies, about magic, or about anything. Granted it’s been a year since the monsters came up so you could be use to it, but you never even gave them a curious glance.

You moan out in appreciation from the burger and realizing what you did, your face reddened. Sans can’t help but snicker.

“This is a really good burger,” you say as your try to cover your embarrassment.

“make no bones about it. grillby makes the best burgers around,” Sans squirts the bottle of ketchup directly into his mouth.

You smile, but had no other reaction to the ketchup as Sans suspected. Everyone always had some kind of reaction, but you just acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. Whatever you’re hiding, it better not hurt his family, otherwise you’re going to have a really bad time.

\--------------------------------------------------

It’s been a week since you’ve moved in with the skelebros and you’ve laughed and smiled more than you have in your entire life. It's all thanks to Papyrus of course. His ongoing excitement and love for life is dangerously contagious, but you can still do without the constant stream of spaghetti. You tried the taller skeleton’s pasta dish for the first time the day you moved in, and to be brutally honest, you almost hurled. But seeing the joy on Papyrus’s face when you ate it, you swallowed it down with determination. Your stomach protested strongly about that. The noodles were burnt to a dark brown, the sauce was too sweet, and the meatballs were sad lumps of cow flesh. The worst thing is, Papy makes it every night. You insist on helping out with the cooking, only so you can subtly influence the outcome of the dish to make it more editable, but failing epically.

After cleaning up that night, you step into the garden and plopped down on the porch swing, your feet dangling a few inches above ground. You unwrap a lollipop and placed it in your mouth, holding it by your teeth to free your hands so you can check your phone. The blueberry flavor washed out tonight’s horrid meal. As much as you love Papyrus, you don’t know if you can handle anymore of his cooking.

The cool winter breeze tickles your cheeks as the crickets sing their songs and the trees rustle to the melody. You tuck a strand of hair behind your ears, taking in the peace before you. You sigh in contentment, appreciating the beauty of it all. You didn’t have this a year ago.

You hear a shuffle beside you and see Sans leaning against the door frame squirting an obscene amount of ketchup into his mouth. Probably to wash the taste out too.

“Are you going to join me or are you going to skullk around like a creeper?” you ask, feeling proud of your pun.

“ heh. nice one kid,” Sans takes a seat next to you, “but tibia honest, you gotta work on your puns before you can ketchup to me.”

“You’re verter-breaking my heart, Sans,”

You both laugh for a minute before an awkward silence settled between you two. This is the longest interaction you had with the smaller skeleton since you moved in. You continue to suck on your lollipop as a distraction.

“ i wanted to thank you,” Sans spoke first. You tilt your head in confusion, “for being cool with paps i mean. his cooking can be improved, but you took it like a champ. and not everyone can handle how awesome he is but you can so...uh..thanks.”

“Papy is a precious cinnamon roll, I can’t imagine ever hurting him,” you say sincerely.

“precious cinnamon roll? that’s new.” Sans snorted.

You giggle and another silence passed, but this time more comfortable.

“ by the way, paps and i are having some friends tomorrow evening, just warning you,”  

“That’s cool. I would love you meet your friends,” you twist the stick in between your two fingers.

Sans nodded and walked back inside, pausing at the door frame. He gave you an odd look like he wanted to say something but decided against it. He left without another word.

The next day, Papyrus enlists your help to clean the house before the guests arrive. And by help he means shoving you into an air vent so you could dust it. Since even with a chair you couldn’t reach it, Sans helps you out by wrapping his blue magic around you and holding you up.

“Remind me why I’m doing this again Papy,” you say, your words echoing through the vents.

“THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES NOT WANT HIS HONORARY FRIENDS TO BREATH IN FILTH!” Papyrus explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

With one last swipe (and another sneeze) you finish with the ridiculous request, “Okay, I’m done. You can put me down now.”

“ nah.” you hear Sans say below. The sensation of his blue magic disappears and out of reflex, you extend your elbows to stop yourself from falling.

“Sans!” you scream out of shock. A familar yellow energy crackled around your fists and a gold haze swirled in your vision, dully illuminating the darkness in the vent. A knot in your stomach forms as you realize what you are doing, making the cracking and haze more intense.

Shit this isn’t good. You need to calm down. Negative emotions will only make this worse. You took a deep breath and counted back from ten. When you reached one, the intensity of the magic subsided enough for you to hide it for now.

“ i thought you should vent your feelings out for a bit, kid,” you could hear the smugness in his voice.

“Sans. Put. Me. Down.” you struggle to keep your voice calm.

“Please put her down,brother. This isn’t very nice.” Papyrus scolded.

“ alright alright sheesh,” Sans summons his blue magic and gently places you on the hardwood floor.

Papyrus looks apologetic and Sans’s face was unreadable except for his permanent smile. You glare at the shorter skeleton, but when you felt another crackle dancing through your clenched fist, you retreated into your room.

You slam the door behind you and grabbed a pillow hurling it at the wall in frustration. This time, you allowed the electricity to slither around your hands and the heat of the magic intensify as you grab another pillow and scream into it The energy pulsed away from you like a shockwave, luckily only knocking down a few mugs and pens on your desk. You manage to avoid breaking the window this time, nice.

You fall backwards on your bed, heaving an angry sigh. You are still pissed, but at least the tension that swelled up inside is released. You know it was suppose to be a joke, but that thought only made you angrier. You felt so disrespected, so betrayed. How dare he use his magic against you! After sharing a moment last night you truly thought you could be closer, despite knowing how dangerous it is. But you can’t help but like him. Even if he makes awful jokes and uses his laziness as a facade, he cares for his brother with such devotion, you can relate. Something about that resonates in you.

You cool down after twenty minutes before remembering about the gathering and you rush into the kitchen before Papyrus burns anything. You made it just in time to save the fish from burning.

Wait fish?

Seeing the confusion on your face, Papyrus laughs,”NYEH HEH! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, KNOWS HOW MUCH YOU LOVE MY SPAGHETTI, BUT FOR TODAY I WANT TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT! I WILL BE MAKING FISH TACOS!”

“That’s great Papy!” Oh thank god. You had enough pasta to last two lifetimes.

“Nyeh...heh…” a grim expression replaced his usual happy self which you find utterly heartbreaking, “Human I must apologize for my brother’s behavior. What happened earlier-”

“Papyrus, stop it’s okay!” you interrupt. You can’t stand to see to see the taller skeleton this way, “I’m fine, see? I’m not mad, I promise. You don’t need to apologize for Sans.”

“But-”

“No buts!” you tiptoe to shove a taco shell into his mouth,”It’s cool okay? Now let’s get these shells stuffed before everyone gets here.”

You and Papy fall into an easy routine of stuffing and you tried one for yourself. It actually turned out decent! Not the best fish tacos; the fish was a little dry, but it could’ve been way worse. You compliment the chef with glee.

“OF COURSE MY TACOS ARE THE BEST! EVERYTHING I MAKE IS PERFECTION!”

After arranging them neatly on a plate, you bring it out to the dining table.

“hey,” Sans suddenly appeared beside you, making you bump into a chair.

“Shit!” fucking teleporter.

“sorry, didn’t mean to rattle your bones,” Sans chuckles then stares at you for a bit as if he’s expecting something. When you didn’t say anything, he continued,”uh...i’m sorry for earlier,”

Sans looks away from you, his hand rubbing the back of his skull where beads of sweat is forming.

You crossed your arms and curled your lips,”That wasn’t very nice you know,”

More sweat forms. How?

“i know. not my proudest moment,” Sans focused on the wood floor like he was counting every crack.

You already forgive him, but you still wouldn’t let him off that easily.

“You can make it up to me by treating me to lunch tomorrow,” you say. In the background, you hear Papyrus gasp.

“deal,”  Sans shoots a genuine smile

Just then the doorbell rings and an excited giant skeleton zooms past you both, throws the door off its hinges, and squeals Frisk’s name, launching them on his shoulders. Once the savoir of monsters was on top of Papyrus, they finally notice you.

“You’re ___, right! Papyrus told me a lot about you! I’m Frisk!” the younger human exclaims cheerfully.

You blush knowing that Papyrus talks about you, “It’s nice to meet you, Frisk.”

“Hello. I am Toriel. Frisk’s guardian,” the large goat monster approached you and you had a sudden flashback of numbness and agony.

You feel the blood leaving your face and the tension of magic pulses in you, begging to be let out. You refuse. You clasp your hands together, not bothering to shake the goat mother’s paw, to keep them from trembling.

Does she remember you? After all these years, does she remember the child that left her without saying a word and never returned? Does she hate you? Should you apologize? Should you throw everything away and beg for forgiveness on your knees?

“I-I’m ___,” you braced yourself for the recognition.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m glad someone is looking out for these boys,” Toriel gives you a polite smile, one that would be given to a stranger.

That hurt more than any knife would.

Suddenly, a familiar rambunctious filled the room, “Sup nerds!”

Oh thank god a distraction.

“Hey, I’m-” you try to introduce yourself but Undyne cut in.

“You’re that nerd that returned Alphy’s jacket last week!” the fish lady gasps.

“Yeah, that’s me. I’m-” before you could finish, you were pulled into a crushing bear hug and you swear that you can hear your joints crack.

“Undyne!” you cry out in more in startlement than out of fear.

The former captain of the Royal Guard puts you down and you straightened out your blouse. You finally told them your name.

“H-How d-did you k-know Undyne’s n-name?” Alphys asked suspiciously and you mentally cursed yourself.

“Yeah! We never told you our names,” Undyne agreed with her girlfriend.

You can feel Sans white orbs bore on you.

“Oh uhm..you’re close to Asgore right? I’ve seen you on tv dealing with human-monster relations,” you crossed your fingers hoping that no one could see through you. You weren’t totally lying; those two are on tv often.

The couple seemed satisfied and all of you settled into the dining room. You learn that Toriel just recently opened a school that welcomes all monsters and humans. You congratulate her but deep down you felt a twinge of resentment. Alphys works in a hospital training human doctors how to treat monsters and treating some herself if the doctors are unable to do anything. Undyne works as Asgore’s personal bodyguard as well as Frisk’s whenever they have to perform their ambassador duties.

Despite its rough start, you felt a warm glow swell inside your soul, soothing all the anger and stress you dealt with today. Looking around at everyone’s smiling faces and the love they have for each other, you hope that someday, you can be a part of it too.


	5. Hear Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaster tells you his evil plan and you and the skele go on a date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--Warning--  
> This chapter contains some dark and bloody content after the break line but I will summarize the chapter in the notes below
> 
> IT'S 2:30 AM AND I JUST GOT BACK FROM PROM GUYS SO IF YOU SEE ANY MISTAKES OR WHATEVER PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO I CAN FIX IT. Also this chapter was so much fun to write! This is definitely the longest chapter but it only took me about two days to write because I was grinding this out non-stop. Sorry this is so dialogue heavy. Tell me what you think below in the comments!

You zip up your boots and admire how nice they look with your dark jeans. You grab your scarf off the couch and wrap it around your neck, loving the how soft it feels on your skin.   

“HUMAN! ARE YOU PREPARED FOR YOUR DATE WITH MY BROTHER? DO YOU NEED TO BORROW MY DATING RULE BOOK?” Papyrus hurries downstairs to catch up with you before you leave.

“We aren’t going on a date Papy,” you giggle,”We are just going to have a meal alone together at Grillbys.”

“THAT SOUNDS LIKE A DATE TO ME!” the innocent skeleton protests.

“I like Sans in a completely platonic way. No romantic feelings for him at all,”

Papy’s eye (sockets?) glints mischievously and you stare at him sternly.

“Papyrus, what are you planning?” you ask.

“N-NOTHING! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS A PHONE CALL TO MAKE!” Papyrus rushes out as Sans enters the living room, wearing this usual blue jacket and basketball shorts attire. At least he traded his pink slippers for actual shoes.

“what was that all about?” Sans asked.

“No idea,” you shrug, “ready to go?”

“yeah, come here, i know a shortcut,” Sans extends his hand and you take it without hesitation.

“don’t let go,”

Falling. You’re falling in all directions with only a skeleton hand to hold on you. You scream into the darkness out of fear or excitement, you don’t know. You’re on a rollercoaster,  falling 180 degrees; your soul light and free. All too soon, you feel the cement beneath your hands and knees. You breathe heavily as your body shakes.

“careful kid, can’t have you falling for me,” Sans winks. When you didn’t reply and stayed on the ground, the skeleton grew concerned, “uh you okay there kiddo? that wasn’t too much was it?”

“That was...absolutely exhilarating! You feel that every time?” you exclaim in disbelief. Right now, you are higher than the clouds.

Sans looks at you stunned, but brushed it off with a nervous laugh,”come on, ___. i’m starving.”

You dust the dirt off your jeans and grin smugly, “Hi starving. I’m ___”

Sans actually groans from your horrible joke. The two of you chose a seat in the corner of the restaurant, a bunny monster taking your orders. You decided on a cheeseburger while Sans ordered ketchup with a side of fries.

“so how do you like living with us,” Sans makes small talk.

“It’s great! I love it! The house is beautiful and you and Papy make great roommates.  Though I really wish Papyrus would lay off the spaghetti for a while,” you admit.

“paps not having spaghetti for more than a week? that’s im-pasta-ble,”

You giggle at the pun, “You’re probably right. How did you endure his cooking all this time?”

Sans just shrugs,” he’s my bro. the only family i got so i’d do anything for him.”

You nod your head, “I can understand that.”

“what about you? got any family?”

You hesitate, “No I don’t.”

“what happened to them?” Sans prompts.

“It’s a long sad story,” you evaded. The waitress brings you your orders and you take a bite out of your burger. Ah, heaven.

“come on kid, i’m _frying_ to know,” Sans pops a fry in his mouth.

Most people would’ve taken your hint by now and drop the subject, but not Sans. No, he sees right through your bullshit. He could tell how much you needed to talk about it.

“My dad left before I was born, so I never met him. My mother drank a lot and use to take out her anger on me physically. But if I was good, she would show me some affection like pat my head or tuck me in. Then my sister came along. She was the light of my life. But then on my sister’s sixth birthday, my mother came home drunk and we got into a fight. I never talked back to her, but this time I found the courage to. And after that, I ran away. I ran away and didn’t come back til years after. I found out that there was a fire while I was gone and my sister perished. My mother was nowhere to be found,” you pause, “I still blame myself for her death.”

You feel your heart clench in regret and despair, but strangely you can’t feel the undercurrent of magic you usually feel when you think of your sister’s fate.

“i don’t have a mom. i was created in a tube,” Sans tells you unexpectedly, “same with paps. dad was a scientist, but one day, he took things too far. an experiment went wrong and he disappeared.”

You suddenly don’t have an appetite anymore.

“Did you love him?” you were almost afraid to ask.

“my old man? i suppose i did. he wasn’t always around so i had to raise paps all on my own. but he did love us in his own way,”

You want to hurl. Oh god, you’re a murderer. A murderer. A dirty father kill-

“you okay kid? you’re almost as white as me,” Sans slid into your side of the booth and hands you a glass of water.

“Y-Yeah I’m fine, sorry,” you drink the water gratefully.

“do you want to leave?”

“Yes please,” you say quietly with a sting of regret. You like being alone in Sans’s company. You don’t want it to end yet.

Sans seems to sense this, “come on, i want to show you something.”

The skeleton leads you out of the restaurant and whistles for a taxi. He tells the driver to take you both to Mt. Ebott and climbs into the backseat with you.

“You’re not going to teleport us?” you ask.

“nah. no offense kid, but you don’t look  in the best shape to be teleporting. besides, i’m bone tired,” Sans leans back.

“I think you’re just lazy,” you comment.

Sans just winks at you.

Ten minutes later, you and Sans arrive at the base of the mountain. You felt a dreaded sense of deja vu, but Sans  grabs your hand and lead you to the barrier entrance, making your heart skip a beat

“Why are we in the Underground, Sans?” you ask as you traverse through Hotland.

Sans rubs his thumbs over your palm for reassurance ,”you’ll see,”

You pass Alphys’s old lab and follow Sans to a river. The riverperson stands on their boat as if they were waiting for you the entire time. Shivers crawl down your spine. You were always wary around the cloaked figure. They remind you of Charon who would lead the souls of the dead on his boat across the River of Styx.

“waterfall, please,” Sans says.

“Tra la la, the broken experiment returns…”the riverperson sings.

You look at Sans in confusion.

“ignore them. most of the things they say are nonsense,”

Finally, you and the skeleton arrive in Waterfall and nostalgia washes over you, filling you with wonder and tranquility. You read to touch the cavern wall, surprised by the rough and sturdy edges and moisture. Your hands trail over the glowing blue crystal, its coolness spread under your fingertips. For the first time, you could feel how cold it is in Waterfall, but in a pleasant way, like the chill before the rain.

“It’s so beautiful,” you say outloud.

“yeah it is. this was everyone’s favorite place in the the underground. we would pretend that these crystals were stars and make wishes on them,” you were so wrapped up in your own senses you forgot that Sans was there.

He looks good in the soft glowing azure lights. Your soul hums pleasantly.

“come on, we aren’t there yet. follow me, don’t want you to _fall_ behind,” Sans grins.

You roll your eyes at the pun but smile anyway, hanging onto the sleeve of his coat so you wouldn’t lose him.

After going through a series of rooms, Sans picks up a pink flower and instructs you to do the same.

“if you put four of these flowers together in the water, they will open up and form a bridge,” Sans explains.

You expected the skeleton to form the bridge in the upper corner of the room, but instead, he lines them up at the bottom corner, leading you into an area that you’ve never seen before. Within the small space, there is only a simple bench and an echo flower beside it.

“that’s an echo flower. if you whisper something to it, it’ll say it back,” Sans says when he noticed you admiring it.

You think for a moment and whisper something to the flower.

“Sans is a huge dork,” the flower echos.

“ouch,” Sans pretends to be offended, his hands clenching where his heart should be.

“Oh don’t let it _rib_ you the wrong way. I mean it with full affection,” you take a seat on the bench beside him.

“that joke isn’t very humerus,” Sans looks unamused.

“What did someone steal your funny bone?” you both burst into laughter at that.

Once against your soul hums serenely, beating like a heart. Huh, it has never done that before.

“___, have we met before?” Sans says suddenly, shifting the mood.

Your blood turns cold and the once pleasant hum turns into gnashing teeth clawing its way out of you. You push it away and calm down.

“No, of course not. Why would you think that?” you allowed no emotion in your voice.

Sans stares at you, trying to figure out whether you’re telling the truth or not.

“you don’t...react much. and you seem to know things other humans would have questions to,” Sans’s tone turned cold and accusing.

“Sans...I’ve seen things. I’ve been through things. And I can’t really explain. Maybe someday. But the real question you want to ask is if I’m going to be a threat to Papyrus isn’t it?” Sans’s silence is all the confirmation you need, “I swear on my life that I will never hurt Papyrus, or Frisk, or Toriel, or anyone that you care about. If I do, feel free to do whatever you want to me,”

His pause is deafening. Every second waiting for a response was torture, like anticipation was a knife and it twisted inside you.

“thank you,” Sans looks at you in a way that you can’t describe, but it made your soul glow brighter. A blue blush dusts his cheeks, “and i care about you too.”

You feel your own blush rise to your cheeks and you quickly turn away in embarrassed, Your magic swirls inside you, warming you up as your heart beats faster. The two of you sit on the bench together, not speaking, not touching, but you both feel the magic of the moment. With the beautiful glowing lights, the emotions you felt during the day, the seclusion from the world except the presence of your friend, you close your eyes and let the peace embrace you.

* * *

You woke up in a room blinded by the bright light hovering above you. You closed your eyes instinctively. Your retinas burned from the light; like looking directly at the sun. You slowly opened your eyes again, this time prepared. Strange rings danced across your vision but you blinked them away. Still, you were disoriented and nauseated. Your head throbbed and you could feel your brain cells beat like a heartbeat. You felt like throwing up again. You tried your best to breathe, but a pressure on your chest made it very difficult. Your nausea and difficulty to breathe only caused panic to swell up inside of you. You attempt to sit up, but your efforts were made futile by a sudden force restraining you to your seat. You finally took a moment to analyze the situation you were in.

You were laying down, strapped in some kind of dentist chair, the hum of electricity buzzed above you. You couldn’t see much, there was a leather strap tucked snuggly on your forehead, holding you down. Similar straps binded both your wrist and ankles. Since you couldn’t sit up, all you could see was a metal door against a plain white wall with a simple tv beside it and a blue tile floor.

You tried to call for help, for someone’s attention, but all that came out of you was a hoarse, scratchy whisper. Your throat felt like sandpaper rubbing against each other and it grated the wall every time you breathed. You would kill for a glass of water.

How long has it been since you woke up? Minutes? Hours The only thing to entertain you was the ticking of a clock you couldn’t see. Instead, you focused on your knee. You could tell the bone has been removed, but the pain was definitely still there albeit, it subsided to a sore ache rather than a stab wound. You wiggle around to feel the injury, but you felt none. At least you’re use to this kind of pain.

Without warning, the metal door slid open, revealing a tall skeleton in a black turtleneck sweater and a white labcoat. He wore a kind smile that made your stomach twist in disgust. Gaster’s entire demeanor shifted to someone who moved with grace and eloquence, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. He was nothing like the psychopath who attacked you in the woods. You wondered which one is the real Gaster.

“Ah, you’re awake child. I imagine being strapped in like that is rather uncomfortable, but alas it is necessary,”

You didn’t speak. Only speak when you are told to.

“What is your name, child?” Gaster asked.

You told him your name.

“Lovely. Now you are probably wondering what is going on, are you not? Allow me to explain then…”

Gaster explained the story of how the humans forced the monsters into the Underground, erecting the barrier, and leaving them to rot. He told the story of the king’s and queen’s children, and explained the role human souls have to breaking the barrier.

“So are you going to take my soul?” you flinched at your sudden outburst. You prepared yourself for a backhand.

Gaster frowned at your flinch, but didn’t say anything about it, “No, I will not take your soul to King Asgore. You will be more useful here with me than shoved into some tube.”

You didn’t know whether to be relieved or afraid.

“You see, human souls are powerful little things. Especially a child’s. A monster could absorb a human soul and evolve into something greater, but it won’t be enough to break the barrier. And a human can’t absorb a monster soul since it is too weak to persist after death. Well, perhaps  absorbing a boss monster’s soul might work, but we are not going to kill our king to test out that theory. But what would happen if you inject a human soul with massive amounts of monster magic? In theory, it should be enough to break the barrier.

“You’re going to use me aren’t you?” you whisper, ignoring the irritation in your throat.

“Of course. It is my duty as royal scientist to find every way out of here,” Gaster fiddled with a needle and hooked it up to an IV bag. He filled the bag with some strange green liquid.

“Please let me go!” you begged braving the pain,”I have to take care of my sister! She will die without me!”

“You should’ve thought of that before you climbed the mountain,” Gaster pushed the needle into your arm and you winced at the sting, “This drug should keep you alive during the procedure. I was able to concoct this this from the soul of a wannabe chef,”

“Please don’t,” you begged weakly.

You could feel the healing effects course through your veins and although it was pleasant, it did nothing to soothe you.

“Of course I can’t just start injecting you with things without knowing how the human body works and its reactions to certain stimulants,” Gaster ignored you, “I’ve never worked with a living human body before so now is my chance to learn,”

Gaster raised a polished and clean scalpel in front of you, a simple glint reflecting the light at the edge. You caught a glimpse of your reflection momentarily, immediately recognizing the frightened pathetic creature in it.

“Now hold still, please,” was all the warning you received before Gaster sliced your shirt open, cutting a single straight line under your chest to the top of your pelvis.

With no anesthesia or pain medication to hold you down, you shrieked as the pain threatens to engulf your entire being, like a beast devouring your body. The incision clawed at your stomach, the wound ripping your entire being as your felt your flesh rip apart fiber by fiber. Blood sprayed everywhere like a garden sprinkler, drenching the white skeleton in red. The mad scientist poked at the folds of your stomach, looking unsure what to do next. Then he gripped the opening and pulled it apart further, causing you to vomit all over your chest. Bloody tears rolled into your mouth, making you spit in disgust.  Gaster murmured something in a language you don’t recognize and inspected your insides like a butcher would inspect his merchandise. Dismembered skeletal hands appeared behind him with a clipboard and pen, writing down whatever the skeleton was saying.

You couldn’t scream anymore, as much as you wanted to, you were certain that your vocal cords were torn so you lie there helpless, mouth hanging open and face twisted in anguish. You felt everything; Gaster’s skeletal hands inside your, body, poking, prodding, and slicing every organ.

You begged for some kind of release, for numbness, for sleep, for death. But none came. This is your punishment. This is retribution for your sins. For ruining your mother’s life, for abandoning your sister, for leaving Toriel, for being born. All of it.

You felt Gaster tug your ribs

“Humans have skeletons inside them? Fascinating. Very Fascinating,”

A sharp knife punctured your lungs and all breath left your body as you silently suffocate. You are eternally dying. You are eternally living. What’s the difference? Love, hate, happiness, sadness. All those come and go. But pain stays. Pain is eternal. You can never escape its grip.

“Please stop stop stop it. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. Please stop this. I can’t take it anymore. Kill me. Just kill me. Just kill me. Let me go. It’s too much. It’s too much. It’s too much,” you tried to scream.

Gaster looked at you for the first time since made the first cut, “Do not worry, ___. As long as you have that concoction in you, you won’t die.”

Hopelessness washed over you as you struggled to stop the pain. You thought of your sister and her infectious smile and bright green eyes. Green like the summer leaves. Green like her favorite dress. Green like that damn liquid keeping you alive. The colors around you drained away except for the green drug and your red blood. Life poured out of you as life seeped in. You were frozen between life and death. Never to know the sweet taste of life again nor know the  blissful release of death. All that’s known is suffering. This is True Hell.

You felt your intestines rip apart and you thought Gaster asked you something, but you couldn’t hear. All that you could hear were your own internal screams, shouting at everyone and everything. You hated them all. You hated your mother. You hated Gaster. You hated yourself. You hated you sister. WHY WON’T SHE JUST LET YOU DIE!

So you let go. There wasn’t any use trying to stop the agony. There wasn’t any use to trying to pretend that you weren’t here. You stopped struggling. You stopped struggling and welcomed the pain with a warm embrace.  

When Gaster showed you your own heart, that was when you were finally allowed to pass out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--Summary of Part 2--  
> You woke up in a lab strapped to a chair and Gaster explains his plan to inject your soul with a shit ton of monster magic so you would be able to break the barrier. But before he could inject you with magic, he has to study your body which includes dissecting and mutilating your body. You're only kept alive because of a drug he made harvesting the healing properties of the green soul. 
> 
> My biggest inspiration for Gaster in this chapter is Swapfell Undyne! If you guys haven't checked out the art for that I encourage you to do so. She's so fricken crazy and blood thirsty, I love it! 
> 
> Please note that I only took one year of high school biology so if I get anything about medical stuff or human anatomy wrong, forgive me.


	6. Cotton Candy Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus and you share a moment. Everyone goes to an amusement park later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU GET A FLUFF. YOU GET A FLUFF. EVERYONE GETS A FLUFF! I swear these chapters just keep getting longer and longer. I'm not doing it intentionally. At first I wanted to set a 1,000-2,000 word limit on each chapter, but well fuck it. Here's a 5,000 word chapter. Enjoy.

“____!” an urgent voice pulls you out of your dreamless sleep.

“WHAT?!” your eyes fly open immediately, you sit up instinctively, preparing for upcoming danger. Unfortunately on your way up, your head crashes into another’s who you realize is Sans. He curses out loud and you quickly apologize, “Holy shit! I’m so sorry!”

You move Sans’s hand covering his head and he groans. You inspect the damage and see a dark purple bruise forming. You brush your thumb over it and the skeleton flinches away.

“I’m so sorry, did that hurt?” you pull back not wanting to inflict anymore pain on him.

“welp. that was not _heading_ in the direction that i wanted it to go,” Sans jokes, but seeing your concerned expression, he reassures you that he is fine.

“Why did you yell like that? Is something wrong?” you ask.

“no, you’re just a heavy sleeper. wouldn’t wake up no matter how much i shook you,” Sans fishes for some monster candy in his pocket and pops it in his mouth. Already the bruise starts to fade.

You look around and realize that you’re still in Waterfall.

“Oh. What time is it?” you stretch, slightly irritated to be woken up.

“it’s already seven. we should get home before paps starts to worry,”

“Let’s go then,” you stand up, fixing your hair. Sans grabs your hand and suddenly you’re collapsed on the living room floor, head spinning from vertigo, “Little warning next time please?”

The short skeleton just shrugs and climbs into his sofa crease,  picking up the remote and scrolling through Netflix.

“HUMAN! BROTHER! YOU HAVE RETURNED! HOW WAS YOUR DATE?!” Papyrus rushes down the stairs and greets you with a bear hug.

“wasn’t a date bro,” Sans says without looking up.

“BUT YOU AND THE HUMAN WERE GONE FOR HOURS,” Papy protested.

“Sans took me to see Waterfall. We both fell asleep that’s all,” you join Sans on the couch, pulling out a blue lollipop out of your bag. You’ve developed quite the addiction to these sweets.

“WHAT HAPPENED TO ‘JUST GOING TO HAVE A MEAL ALONE TOGETHER’” Papyrus threw your words back at you, looking triumphant.

“she was feeling down so i took her there to cheer her up,” Sans says casually.

“WHAT?! WHY WERE YOU UPSET HUMAN?! DID MY BROTHER MISTREAT YOU AGAIN?”

You noticed Sans’s face darken at Papyrus’s remark and you’re suddenly feeling guilty, “No! Papy, your brother was wonderful! He really cheered me up,”

A bubble of apprehension rises in you.

“Now, why don’t we watch a movie together?” you try to defuse the tension in the room, “Papy can you make some popcorn while I put on some comfortable clothes? Sans, please pick a movie for us to watch.”

Papyrus looks thrilled by your idea and runs into the kitchen to pop the popcorn. You glance sideways at Sans but he remains silent. You slide off the couch and you step into your room to change into your pjs. When you return, you made sure the brothers sat next to each other, and you chose the spot closest to Papyrus. Sans selects a Disney movie and the three of you watched in silence, enjoying each other’s company while eating burnt popcorn. You snuggle into Papyrus affectionately and looked at Sans. He seems to have returned to his normal mood and by the end of the movie, Sans and Papyrus were snoring softly, leaning against each other. The display was so cute, you couldn’t help not taking a picture. Careful to not disturb them, you pull a blanket over their sleeping bodies and whisper a good night to them both.  

You step into your bedroom and close the door quietly behind you. Shuffling to your queen-sized bed, you lean against the wall, surrounding yourself in darkness. There’s no use trying to sleep, not with the unplanned nap you took in the afternoon. You absent-mindedly  pull out your soul, feeling the tugging sensation in your chest. The yellow heart floats inches in front of you. Small and heavily cracked like broken glass, it gives off a soft glow in the darkness. Your eyebrows furrow when you noticed that your soul has grown brighter since you checked it a month ago. You brush your fingers over the heart, the warmth of energy twirls around your fingers and soon spread over to your entire body. Happy memories flash through your mind. Papyrus, Sans, your sister.  Your soul becomes brighter as an overwhelming feeling of love for them washes over you. Tears swell  in your eyes , the droplets pass straight through the floating soul. You smile and try to keep your hiccups quiet. After Gaster, you never thought you could love again, since it was love for your sister that made you leave Toriel’s sanctuary.

You think of the skeleton brothers and how much they’ve done for you. How much they’ve helped you heal. You remember the first time you saw them on that snowy day in Snowdin. At first you hated them, resentment boiled over you as you scream and curse at them, just because they were skeletons. You attacked them, wanting to kill them so many times. But of course they never heard you and your magic just goes straight through them. But after a while, they became the only moving thing in your stagnant life.  It was them who allowed you to see possibilities again.

Your finger accidentally trace over a crack and suddenly you’re back in Gaster’s secret lab, wailing on the dentist chair. You pull back immediately, your magic flaring out of your soul. Your body shakes and your tears of happiness turns into despair. All of your scars burn from the memory, a phantom pain settling in your head.  You pull your knees to your chest and put your head between them to muffle your sobs.

A knock on your door startles you and you quickly put your soul back in your body and you wipe away your tears as best as you can.

“Come in,” you manage to keep your voice from quivering.

Papyrus enters your room slowly, closing the door behind him. The clouds part from the moon and illuminates your room in a soft silver light, “Human are you alright? I heard you crying so I came in to check on you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t wake you did I?” you weren’t as quiet as you thought.

“No, I was about to carry Sans upstairs. Why were you crying?”  Papy crawls on your bed and leans against the wall beside you.

“I was just thinking about old memories. I’ll be fine. You should probably go back to sleep now,” you push a strand a hair behind your ear.

“You know, when I get sad, I surround myself with people I love,” the tall skeleton puts his arm around your shoulders and pull you closer. You lean on him, inhaling the scent of tomatoes and popcorn.

“The Great Papyrus gets sad?” you ask softly.

“Of course! Though I have the privilege to be greater than most, I do feel...sad sometimes. Such as now. I am sad because my friend is sad,” Papyrus strokes your hair.

Your heart melts and magic dances inside you like fireworks during the summer. What did you do to deserve this? A huge burst of emotions surge within you as you bury your face in the skeleton’s arm. You realize that you would do anything for Papyrus. To keep him safe. To keep him happy. You would do anything he asks, without question. You know without a doubt, that you would die for him.

“Papy there aren’t enough words to describe how much you mean to me,” emotionally exhausted, your voice slows and your eyelids grow heavy.

“The Great Papyrus knows,” he presses his teeth on your head, but you were already gone.

When you wake up a few hours later, you are tucked in your bed wrapped inside your blankets like a burrito. You close your eyes for a few more seconds, reluctant to leave the comforts of your bed.  Rolling over to the nightstand, you check your phone, the time reading 7:32. You groan into your pillow before you force yourself out of bed to prepare for work. Recently you’ve been taking earlier shifts so you can spend most of the day at home now that your home is actually inviting. Hehe your home. You go through your morning routine absent-mindedly, slowly waking up from your sleep.

Papyrus greets you with a cup of coffee and some burnt scrambled eggs when you enter the kitchen. Seeing the dark liquid, your face scrunches up  and you pour tons of creamer into the cup and three spoons of sugar. You take a sip of the coffee and though it’s sweet, you could still taste the subtle bitterness. You add in two more spoons of sugar.

“GOOD MORNING HUMAN! DID YOU SLEEP WELL?!”  Papyrus asks.

“I did,” you flash a smile,”Thank you for helping me last night.”

“NYEH HEH HEH! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS ALWAYS THERE TO HELP!” you could see a faint orange blush on the skeleton’s cheeks.

Looking at the time, you chow down on your breakfast rapidly, throwing your dishes in the sink and grab your coat. Papyrus waves you goodbye on the way out the door and you tell have to have a good day before you run to the bus stop. You noticed that Sans wasn’t on the couch when you left so that means Papyrus probably carried him to his room after you fell asleep.

You clock in ten minutes late, earning a lecture from your boss, but he cuts it short as customers pool in. Hungry customers rush you as you take their orders and bring their food to them; sometimes messing up the orders. This is why you hated the morning shift. People are always so rude in the morning. Your day passes by normally and by three, you are gathering your things in the break room getting ready to go home.  You were mildly surprised to see Sans walk into the diner and you panicked remembering the incident with Undyne and Alphys a few weeks ago.  You grab your bag and rush outside to get Sans out before your boss sees him.

“Hey! Your kind is not welcomed you here filthy monster” your boss repeats what he said before.

Uh oh. Too late now.

Sans ignores the snarling human and waves to you, “hey kiddo. paps asked me to take you home. we’re going to an amusement park today.”

You put yourself in between Sans and your boss protectively trying to defuse the situation.

“___! Has this monster been harassing you? Are you being stalked? He keeps telling me that he’s taking you home! Should I call the police?” your boss shouts.

“No! No need. I do uh, actually live with him. He’s a friend,” you keep your voice calm and cautious, but inside you stop yourself from punching him.

“___, don’t you know that they’re scum? They use their magic to take advantage of us! They’re taking our jobs and cause crime to run rampant in our city! Their king killed six of our children! They’re good for nothing pieces of sh-”

“ENOUGH!” you ball your fist but you restrain yourself from inflicting physical attacks, “These monsters are my friends! I will not allow you to talk about them like that any longer! Not in front of me! You say that their king killed six children? Well humankind has committed even more unspeakable crimes! The Holocaust? My Lai? 9/11? Humans did that to each other! Not monsters! All they want to do is live peacefully like the rest of us, is that so bad? Sans and his brother has shown me more love and acceptance than any human has so who is the real monster here? You can shove your monsterphobic bullshit up your ass because I quit!”

The diner goes silent except for a college student cheering with his phone out.

You grab Sans’s skeletal hand and pull him out the door with you, angrily stomping through the streets. you feel your magic stir inside you itching to be released, but touching Sans made it easier to control so you push the magic away and getting a handle on your emotions.

“___ wait!” Sans snaps you back into reality. You stop in a front of a small park; the children laughing in the distance.

“Oh sorry,” you realize how tightly you were holding his hand and released it.

“it’s fine kiddo. sticking up for us back there was pretty cool”

“Yeah?”

“yeah kid. you’re kind of a badass when you’re angry,”

“You have no idea,” you chuckle, “Now what’s this about an amusement park?”

* * *

 

Sans takes your hand and teleports home. Everyone was already at the house waiting for you, chattering excitedly about their plans for the day. Undyne spots the two of you and Sans steps away to save himself from being crushed. Unfortunately you didn’t have the foresight as he did and  your joints end up crack audibly as Undyne scoops you into a bear hug.

“Finally nerd! We’ve been waiting for you! Come on, I already picked out an outfit for you,” Undyne carries you to your room and and shuts the door for privacy.

This should be good, Sans thought to himself. Papyrus and Frisk were too engrossed in their videogame to notice anything happening around them. Sans opens the fridge, spots a bottle of ketchup and takes a swing. Alphys was sitting alone at the table looking nervous so he takes a seat next to the dinosaur.

“Something on your mind Alph?” Sans asks nonchalantly.

“N-Nothing!”  Alphys jumps, her claw protectively covers her zipped pocket.

Sans doesn’t say anything about it. Instead he keeps quiet and sips on his tomato goodness.

Suddenly your door bursts open and Undyne is practically dragging you out of your room. You were literally hanging onto the metal bars of your bed, knuckles turning white.

“I’m not going out here Undyne! I need more clothes!” you shout.

“Oh, you’re fine! It’s going to be warm today anyway!” Undyne yells back.

“Fuck you Undyne!” you curse, stubbornly resisting the former captain’s strength.

Sans laughs as Papyrus covers Frisk’s ears from your profanity, “language kid,”

“Fuck you too Sans!” you scream from your bedroom.

“maybe next time,” Sans replies, earning a disgusted look from Papyrus and Frisk. He sticks out a blue tongue.

Finally, you were no matched against Undyne’s determination and came out of your room looking flustered and dishevelled, your stance guarded.  Sans doesn’t see anything wrong with the outfit Undyne picked for you. Sure it shows a little more skin than usual, but Sans has seen worse. A red, loose racerback tank top flattered your upper half of your body while your black shorts really brought out your legs. A gold star pendant hangs between your breast as your hair was styled neatly. Sans knows that he was staring but you were too busy averting your eyes from everyone to notice.  

“Alright let’s go everyone! We don’t want to get stuck in traffic!” Undyne commands, grabbing her keys.

Everyone shuffles into Undyne’s rented minivan; Alphys sitting shotgun with her girlfriend, Papyrus and Frisk sitting in the front talking about the latest Mettaton movie, so Sans sits in the back with you who is awkwardly shifting away. You look at your window to avoid conversation and Sans respects your need for space. Sans looks at you again, appreciating the fact that this is the first time he’s been this close to you in full light. His eyes trail over your body and he knows why you are so uncomfortable. Your body is covered in scars. It isn’t very  noticeable, one would have to look very carefully to make out the thin pale lines littering your arms and legs. But there were some that do stand out, like the angry jagged scar running down your right knee and another painful one disappearing under your shirt.

You catch him staring and your voice dips into a low growl, “Don’t ask.”

Sans instantly looks away, an impulse of self protection prepares a bone attack. But you squeeze your soft hand over his skeletal one and the attack quickly disappears. Sans turns his head towards you in surprise, but you are facing the window, your hand still over his. Undyne winks at him when he catches her gaze in the mirror. In hour later, the gang arrives at the park. Immediately Papyrus points to the tallest and most complex looking roller coaster.

“CAN WE GO ON THAT ONE FIRST PLEASE?!” Papyrus begs.

Alphys checks the height requirement on her pamphlet, “I-I d-don’t think F-Frisk is tall e-enough to go on that one,”

Seeing Papyrus’s disappointed face, Frisk offers a solution, “You, Undyne,  Alphys, and ___ should go while me and Sans go do something while we wait?”

“That’s a great idea punk!” Undyne noogies Frisk.

“I’ll race ya!” you say and just like that you, Undyne and Papyrus sped off, Alphys lagging behind.

When it was just Frisk and Sans, the skeleton turns to the human.

“so, kid, what do you want to do?” Frisk points to the candy store, “candy huh? heh. just don’t tell tori.”

Frisk picks out one of those cotton candy candy and three chocolate bars. Sans throws in a blueberry lollipop for you and pays. The two of them find a bench under the shade and Frisk nibbles on their candy.

“you’re gonna finish all that chocolate kid?” Sans asks.

“Not for me,” Frisk unwraps a chocolate bar and bites off a huge chunk.

“for chara then?”

The laughter and screams of others fade into the background. It was just a monster and human on a wooden bench now. Two murderers. Not looking at each other, but knowing exactly what expressions they wore on their faces.

“They feel whatever I feel. So I’m trying to experience as much as I can for them,” Frisk takes another bite of the chocolate, “They’ve stopped telling me to kill. They really wanted me to kill ___ at first, but now they’ve calm down. They help me with my homework sometimes too.”

“are they telling you to reset?” Sans balls his fists.

“No, not really. I think that they’re happy now. Flowey not so much. He still tells me to reset, but he’s easy to ignore,”

“so chara’s not in control anymore?”

“No Sans. In this timeline, I don’t have any Love so they have no control,” Frisk pauses, “I promised you Sans. This is the last timeline.”

“You’ve said that before,” Sans spat bitterly. He still somewhat resents the kid for giving him false hope.

Frisk suddenly looks ten years older than they actually are. Chocolate melts in their hand, but they ignore it, “There’s something different about this run. You know it too don’t you?”

“___,” Sans guesses.

“Yeah. We’ve been on a pacifist run longer than this one, but she never showed up. Why now? Why this timeline? Everything changed when she entered the picture. Undyne and Alphys were suppose to die that day during a mugging. Undyne shielded Alphys from the bullet but the attacker still shot Alphys anyway. But when ___ stopped them to give Alphys back her jacket, she delayed them for a few minutes and they never ran into the mugger,” Frisk explains, but Sans already knows this.

The sun flares adding to the heat.

“The question is, where did she come from? What’s so special about this timeline that introduced her?” Frisk asks to no one in particular.

“Hey guys!” you come running towards them, waving with a big smile.

Frisk returns to their normal child self and waves back at you.

“Something wrong? You guys looked like you were talking about something serious,” you ask, concerned.

“nah, just cotton us at a bad time,” Sans steals a chuck of fluff from Frisk.

You laugh unusually hard and Sans swears he could see your eyes twinkle.

“here, this is for you,” Sans tosses the lollipop at you and you catch it easily, grinning and thanking him.

Everyone spends the next few hours waiting in line, eating melted nice cream, and hurling down big drops. Sans watches as the wind runs through your hair like fingers, your screams mixed in with laughter as the cart speeds off, the expression of pure joy and the brightness in your eyes; he has never seen anyone love life as much as you.

Soon the sun was setting and the winter breeze kicks up. Undyne perks up excitedly as if she’s been waiting for this all day.

“Let’s go to the Roaring Rapids!” the fish monster bounces excitedly.

“Undyne, it’s too cold for that. Frisk could get sick,” you say, but Undyne was having none of it. She whined and pleaded and even got Frisk, Papyrus and Alphys to join in. Sans just watches in amusement.

With Frisk and Papyrus’s puppy dog faces and Undyne’s determination, you finally agree. The line is reasonably short and within five minutes, the gang is in a tube with a wheel in the middle rushing down the roaring river.  Water splashes everywhere, leaving everyone but Sans drenched by the end of the ride. When you get off, Sans noticed how your tank top clung to your body, showing off your -ahem- assets very well. Sans is so glad Undyne chose a red shirt for you.

“How are you not wet?” you stare at him in awe.

“magic,” Sans says simply watching your frustration rise at the response.

“Oh gee, it’s quite chilly,” Undyne says innocently, wringing out water from her red hair, “Sans, be a gentleman and give ___ your warm jacket.”

Ah  so that’s what this whole thing has been about. You catch Sans’s eye and he understood that you figured it out too.

“I’m not cold,” you say as a matter of factly, “Give it to Frisk,”

Sans turns to the kid and unlike you, they are shivering like crazy, though trying very hard to hide it. Guilt is written all over Undyne’s face. Sans wraps his jacket over the small child, reaching all the way to their knees.

“we should get you new shoes too. don’t want you walking around brr-footed,” Sans points at Frisk’s soaking shoes.

You laugh whole heartedly while everyone groans.

“Let’s go warm up at that coffee shop over there,” you pick up Frisk and carry them in your arms as they squeal in delight and wraps their arms around your neck.

Sans could die from cuteness overload.

All six of you order hot chocolates and sit by the lit fireplace, sipping your drinks and reflect on the best rides.

“THE BEST ONE WAS OBVIOUSLY THE ONE THAT SPINS YOU AROUND AND AROUND! YOU SHOULD’VE WENT ON THAT ONE WITH US, SANS,” Papyrus pokes his brother in the shoulder.

“heh. i didn’t have the guts to go on it,” Sans winks. You and Frisk giggle.

The entire time, Alphys has been on edge and nervous, her eyes darting from her drink and Undyne back and forth. Her claw clutches her pocket again and she starts to break out in a sweat. Suddenly she stands up.

“I-I h-have to g-go to t-the b-bathroom!” Alphys announces and dash away.

“I’ll come with you,” you follow looking concerned.

“IS ALPHYS OKAY?” Papyrus asks Undyne.

“I don’t know. She’s been acting weird all day. I’ll go check on them,”

A few moments later, Undyne returns, confusion twisting her face, “They kicked me out! Said something about having a ‘girl talk’! Like I’m not a girl?!”

“you’re more of a clown fish,” Sans points out.

“Sans I swear to Asgore I will spear you in the eye socket,” Undyne threatens.

“that wouldn’t be a fun ex _spear_ iment,”

It took both Frisk and Papyrus to hold Undyne back before she could act on her threat. You and Alphys re-enter the room, the yellow dinosaur looking much better than before. In fact, she looks more confident. More determined. Sans wonders what you said to her.

“Alright, last ride. Where to, Frisky?” you announce.

“The Haunted Walkthrough!” the kid jumps excitedly.

Everyone seems to share Frisk’s excitement and all of you head over.  Once inside, Sans was very unimpressed at the decor and the effects. There were three chambers, the first a haunted house scene and the second a creepy circus theme. Both had cheesy lighting effects and an annoying playback track of a woman screaming. Despite what Sans thinks, everyone else seems pretty spooked and yelped at the jumpscares. A harsh bang on the door you are standing in front of caused you to shriek at the top of your lungs and Sans almost gaster blastered the stupid thing. But seeing you dying of laughter on the floor, Sans calms down and laughs along with you.  In the last room, everyone surges ahead, determined to get out of there as quickly as possible. Cheesy displays of hospital beds and medical equipment dripped in fake blood littered the room. A display of a man hanging upside down with his guts pouring out of him caught Sans’s eye  is the only decoration he found noteworthy. This chamber is much darker than the others and the fog heavier making it hard to see anything. He keeps an eye out of Papyrus’s red scarf so he can keep up with them.

Sans stops in his tracks when he realizes something is wrong. You aren’t with them. He turns around and sees that you are still in front of the chamber, eyes wide and knees trembling in fear. No not fear. Terror. You are actually terrified. Sans backtracks to you, his friends not noticing. He calls out your name and you look at him; something dark and painful flash in your eyes and you take a step back. Sans stops and approaches more slowly, like one would with a frightened animal. He hold his hands up and calls out your name, but you don’t hear him. You are too locked in you mind.  Sans takes another step and this time, you snap at him, your body prepared to attack him if necessary, fingers twitching, eyes flickering with pure hatred and anger. Sans wonders who hurt you this much for you to act like that. He calls your name one more time.

Finally you start to focus again and recognize Sans, guilt written all over your face as you realize what happened. He comes closer and when you don’t flinch, he wraps his arms around you and pick up supporting your back with one arm and holding up the back of your knees with another. You immediately bury your face into his white shirt, still shaking. Sans runs his fingers through your hair which calms you down immensely and carries you out of the walkthrough.

The cool air is a nice relief from the stuffy attraction.

“____, we’re out,” Sans says.

“Mhm,” you mumbled but kept clinging onto him anyway.

Undyne lets out a big whoop, followed by a ‘get some’  that attracted several glares. She and Frisk high-five each other. You squirm in his arms and he puts you down, anger raged inside you. Sans shares your fury, magic blazing in his right eye. How dare they put you through that just to get a laugh?

“Haha. You’re. _So_ . Funny. Undyne,” you force out, “You _really_ got us,”

Undyne doesn’t register your venomous tone, so Sans raised his hand, about to turn her soul blue, but you lower his hand and strokes his palm with your thumb. He meets your eyes and you shake your head.

“Don’t let this day end on a bad note,” you speak lowly. The flames in Sans’s eye dies out.

Why you aren’t freaking out around him?  Most humans and monsters do when he summons his magic. They usually become uneasy around him since they didn’t expect  such a laid back guy to be very powerful. He remembers you telling him that you’ve seen things. Sans wonders what kind of things you’ve seen to harden you this much. Maybe it had to do with a hospital?

All six of you head towards the exit. Sans doesn’t want to let this go, but for your sake he does. Alphys and Papyrus are the only ones who picks up on the sour mood and apologized profusely. You forgive them instantly, returning to your cheerful self. You and Alphys share a look, your eyes twinkling with encouragement. The yellow dinosaur clears her throat.

“U-Undyne?” Alphys call her girlfriend nervously.

“What is it babe?” the fish monster perks up when she hears her name.

Alphys stops Undyne and takes her girlfriend’s hand in her claw, looking into her eyes lovingly.

“I-I t-think you’re really c-cool and you make me feel stronger a-and confident, the person that I want to be. I-I know that I-I’ve made some unforgivable m-mistakes in the past, but I will do whatever I can to make u-up for it. I love you Undyne so…”

Alphys drops to her knees and pulls out a small velvet box out of her pocket. Undyne lets out a small gasp.

“...will you marry me?” Alphys opens the box, revealing a ring set with a large square diamond with smaller stones surrounding it.

Frisk climbs on top of Papyrus to get a better look.

“YES! HOLY FUCK! YES!” Undyne cries and Alphys slips the ring onto her girlfriend’s ring finger.

The fish monster picks up her fiancee and spins her around, smooching everywhere on her face.  A crowd that formed around them erupts into  cheers and congratulate the happy couple. Some guests scowl in disgust but you shoot them a murderous glare and they walk away. Sans looks at you, your eyes glistening with pride and happiness. You catch him staring, your soft cheeks turning pink so look away occasionally sneaking glances at the skeleton.

San’s soul hums, beating like a heart. Being near you in this moment, he realizes that if the world were to end right now, as long as you’re with him, it’ll be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly I love the idea of BigBro! Paps! I hope I've written him well, I was gushing the entire time I can't tell if I made any mistakes around that scene. And how do you guys feel about Alphys being the one that proposed? I know Undyne is the more "confident" one but I'd like to think that Alphys has come out of her shell a lot when they get to the surface and she has really grown as a person. Maybe I'm projecting herself onto her I don't know.


	7. Wrath of Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are no longer blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your nice comments fills me with DETERMINATION!  
> Anyway I was originally going to have two parts for this chapter, but I was just too excited! Also I might not update for a while (maybe a week or two?) since I have to take care of finals and graduation stuff. Not prepared for the real world! At least I have this fanfiction to escape to.

 

in·teg·ri·ty

 

/inˈteɡrədē/

 

_noun_

    1.the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.

* * *

Over the years, you began to see Gaster as a father. On days where the scientist wasn’t poking at your insides, he treated you as if you were his child. He would tell you about his two other sons that he created and how the oldest one was helping him with another side project. He wheeled in that project one day, complaining how it wouldn’t work, no matter how much he tried. The machine  just sat in the corner collecting dust. Gaster said that his mind to split in between too much work at the moment and will return to it when he’s finished with you. Though he kept you in a cell, Gaster brought in comfortable pillows and blankets, even spoiling you with books. He would get really excited when you finished a novel and asked for a new one, encouraging any kind of academic activities. He picked up on the fact that scientific and math books seem to bore you, so he brought in some fantasy and imaginative novels he found at the dumpster. On days where it was too hard for you to speak because you’ve damaged your vocal cords too much, Gaster taught you sign language, urging you to practice whenever you can. He was really understanding that way.

But some days, you couldn’t find the will to live. They usually follow right after procedures.  On days like these, you would lay in bed, unmoving, never talking. If Gaster needed to speak to you, you only replied in sign language,  burying yourself in your own hatred. You were awake but comatose, blaming the world for doing this to you.

“When can I leave?” you asked weakly as Gaster stitched you head closed one day.

“You already know the answer to that, dear child,” Gaster sniped the thread and kneeled down in front of you, “But enough of that, I have a surprise for you.”

Gaster leaves your cell and returned with a small cake and a single lit candle.

“Surprise! You’ve been here for a few years already and I wanted to celebrate all the discoveries we’ve made. It’s blueberry, your favorite,” Gaster smiles at you, expecting some kind of positive response.

You didn’t give him one. Did he really expect you to celebrate your years of _torture_ ? Congratulations for surviving this long. Here’s a cake. Instead you don’t say anything, crawling into your inner shell shutting out the world. You were in your own abyss, where there is nothing but numbness.

Gaster sighs and placed the cake on your table and walked out of your cell. That cake would never be eaten.

The scientist would usually allow you to rest for a few days before starting a new procedure, but this time, he strapped you in the next day. You didn’t even care anymore. There was no point. You were already a living corpse, what else could he do to you?

“I have some very exciting news today,” Gaster tightens the strap around your chest, your breast aching from the pressure, “Do you remember what I told you all those years ago? The reason why I’m doing this?”

There was a point? You didn’t remember anymore.

“Well, I’ve finally gathered enough information about your body to develop a serum that will enable you to use magic and keep you alive,” Gaster said excitedly.

“Just get it over with” you signed with your hands.  You just wanted to return to your bed.

“This time is different, however. I will not be working with your physical body. I am going to have to inject the serum directly into your soul,” Gaster prepared a needle,, filling it to the brim with a glowing golden liquid. It boiled under his touch. You tilted your head in confusion which Gaster took as a good sign, “Let us begin,”

The scientist placed his skeleton hands over your heart and with a tug, he pulled out your soul. A deep indigo heart hovered before you, your eyes going wide in awe  as your the heart faded dimly, turning transparent then regaining its form. A weak soul. You wanted to reach out and touch it, but you were strapped in so you opted to memorize every detail about it. Something tells you this would be the last time you would see it. Gaster grabbed your soul and your entire body felt like it was being squeezed.

Gaster stuck the needle into your soul and your heart felt like it’s been stabbed straight through. Your heart pulsed, tearing itself to apart and shattering into pieces. You were burning, burning in a righteous fire consumed by memories of a wife, of a husband, of playing in the snow, of meeting Santa. Memories that don’t belong to you. You heard screaming, whether it was yours or theirs you don’t know, but it was deafening, all the agony, the despair coursed  throughout you burning in your blood.

“W-What did you _do_ to them?!” you hurled your words at him accusingly.

You were in a cage a cell a room, bounded by ropes chains magic. Gaster stood over you with a sickening grin of a maniac. Take them not me! Why me?! Why me?! I want to see my daughter! Where is my husband?! What have you done to my wife?!  Gaster shoved you into a machine, hooking tubes into your soul. You look over to your wife your neighbor the children. Everyone was screaming crying begging. Gaster pulled a lever, a whirring sound layered the cries. Gaster laughed uncontrollably, enjoying the misery he was inflicting.

It hurts! It hurts! Please stop! Please stop! I don’t want to die! You were being crushed, your vision fading. Your life being ~~stolen~~ extracted from you. You fell, your body tearing itself apart as you turned into forgotten dust.

You bore it all. Their torment, their torture, their final regrets. It was too much! You couldn’t handle this! At least under the knife you only had to bear your own pain,but this?! You were forced to feel every drop of their anguish. They were all grappling within you, fighting for control. The forgotten blue heart cracked and cracked. Stop it! Stop it! Leave me alone! You yell at them. They’re all screaming different things at you: you’re the reason they were taken, you’re just as bad as Gaster, they want what was taken from them. Their words jumbled inside you, until you can’t make them out anymore. But they all want the same exact thing. Revenge.

“I extracted the magic of hundreds of monsters and turned it into a physical form. Since monsters are made of magic, all of them turned to dust. A small price to pay for our freedom,” Gaster said as he took notes.

Kill him. Kill him. He did this to us. Kill him. He has to die. He deserves to die.

“You stole their lives from them! These people had a family! Had people who they loved and who loved them in return! Everyone’s hopes! Everyone’s dreams! You vanquished them in an instant!” fury coursed through you, your own or theirs, it was all the same. You struggle in your straps, straining your energy to be released.

Gaster shrugged, unconcerned. He turned around and checked the monitor beside the door.

“It looks like you are at 25% magic capacity. It’s a good amount of magic, but not enough. We need to get you to 100%” Gaster injected another dosage in your soul, the yellow devouring the blue.

Another wave of voice attacked you. And another. And another until you soul is completely covered in the stolen gold magic.

“How interesting…” Gaster takes note of the color change.

Their fiery anger burns within you, demanding vengeance, a war bombing inside you. Magic flares out and you don’t try to contain it. You encouraged it instead. If magic is what Gaster wants you to use. So be it. You aren’t alone anymore. You have them. You have the fallen monsters. You have the will to live again. Right then, everyone inside you, you could feel their heart beating as one. And they all have one goal. To destroy Gaster!

Your magic burned through the straps holding you from your freedom. Your body sparked in your wrath as you were filled with the injustice the monsters have suffered.  The skeleton scientist drops his clipboard startled. He summons his bones around him, and fire them uselessly at you. You instinctively shielded the attack. You will never allow him to lay a hand on you again.

“I WILL HAVE JUSTICE!” you roar, your voice mixed with everyone.

Both of your eyes blaze in resentment and electricity burst from your fingertips as you lunged toward the fallen scientist.

* * *

 

jus·tice

 

ˈ/jəstəs/

 

_noun_

   1.the quality of being just; righteousness, equitable, or moral rightness


	8. Water Guns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we have a beach episode in the middle of December because the author doesn't experience weather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are almost halfway there til the end of the arc! I'm so excited for what's coming up! I know last chapter I said I might not update for a while but I just got a new macbook and I was too excited not to write in it. Anyway hope you enjoy!
> 
>  
> 
> [ My Tumblr ](http://maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

It’s been a month and you still haven’t found another job yet. You told Sans that you’re going to need an extension on your payment, but he told you not to worry about it. Still, you don’t want to be leeching off the brothers too long. Papyrus’s job as a personal trainer pays well and Sans’s hot dog stand does bring in a steady flow of cash, but you hate sitting around doing nothing while the brothers work.

You sigh and plop onto the couch, grabbing the remote and flipping through the channels. You settle on some trash news channel with the anchorman spewing some story about a vegatable running for president.  Your stomach growls and you groan. Are you really hungry now? You can eat later right? Another pang in your stomach answers your question.

“But the kitchen is so far,” you whine mentally to your stomach.

Shit, Sans is really rubbing off on you. You sit up, but then an idea occurs to you. Your roommates aren’t home! You could do whatever you want! You  grin and return to your position on the couch, facing the direction of the kitchen. It’s been awhile since you’ve done this voluntarily, but it shouldn’t be that bad. Flexing your fingers, you focus on the fridge, your hand glowing and a yellow haze wraps around the refrigerator and the freezer door opens slowly. You release your hold on the door and focus on the hot pockets. You levitate the box onto the dining table and move onto the cabinet door, bringing a plate to the table. You coax the frozen pastry out of the plastic bag and place it on the plate. Heh. You’re not even breaking a sweat. You push the plate into the microwave and set the timer for a minute. You release your magic, taking a break. You smile to yourself, appreciating what your magic has done for you. Sure, you’ve obtained it in the worst possible way and the sacrifices that were made to make it possible is absolutely horrible, but you can’t change the past. You’re not Frisk.

The microwave dings and you levitate the plate to your knees. You wait a minute for it to cool down before taking a bite.

“Breaking news. Due to the rising monster hate related crimes, Ebott City officials are instituting a curfew for all monsters after 10pm. Investigators suspect a growing monster hate group to be the cause of these crimes-” you shut off the tv.

You hate this. You hate what the monsters have to go through everyday since they arrived on the surface. Sure there are some people that are more accepting, but the majority hate the monsters or don’t care. Either way, it’s a bad situation. You hope that over the years, society will become more open minded, but you doubt that it’ll happen in your lifetime.

Checking the time, you see that it is only noon, so you decide to do something, which is better than moping around. Maybe you can job hunt at the mall or something. You hate working in retail, but you’re desperate.

You grab your keys and your phone, calling an uber for yourself. Twenty minutes later, you arrive at the bustling mall, packing with last minute holiday shoppers. Christmas lights are hung up in every store and children are begging their parents for the latest toy. In the center of the mall stands an enormous Christmas tree decorated with an assortment of shiny ornaments and a grand star stands proudly at the top. At the base of the tree, a line is forming for kids and their parents to take pictures with Santa while the elves try to keep order. Every store looks extremely busy, you don’t even know if you have the chance to see if anyone is hiring. You continue to walk around, mentally queueing items to buy for your friends when you find a job.

After an hour of wandering around, getting rejected, and squeezing yourself in  between holiday shoppers, you buy yourself a smoothie and drink in frustration. Suddenly your head throbs as an ache quickly forms in your head. Note to self: never drink a cold smoothie while frustrated again. You groan and rub your temples in a circular motion. You’ve accomplished nothing but a brain freeze today. Great. You stand up, picking up your bag and head toward the exit. Maybe you’ll find some luck somewhere else.

Something flashes in the corner of your vision and you turn around, noticing a book store in a hidden nook of the mall with a man walking happily out with his daughter. Nostalgia stirs in you. You haven’t had the time to buy any new books recently and you’ve been craving for some new material to read. Besides you can’t resist the lure of books. Even if you end up not buying anything, maybe they are hiring? It’s worth checking out.

You enter the store, a small bell jingles when you open the door. A tired employee is slumped over the counter,but when he sees you enter, he immediately perks up, the bag under his eyes clearly visible.

“Welcome to Underbooks! Do you need help finding anything in particular?”  the employee, a young man around his early twenties with faux enthusiasm.

“No, I’m just looking,” you reply.

“Great! Take all the time you need!” his smile twitched. He is starting to remind you a certain cat monster.

You look around the small store, the books displayed neatly in alphabetical order and by genre, ranging from children’s books to adult erotica (hidden in a separate section of course). You wander around the manga area, brushing the books as you walk by, enjoying the smooth binding on your fingertips. Picking up a random title, you flip through it, inhaling the scent of tall trees and snow. As you skim through the manga, you figure Alphys would like it, so you bring the first three books of the series to the checkout.

“Your total will be $30.35” the boy places the books in a plastic bag.

You hand over the money and asks, “Are you hiring?”

The boy’s eyes widen and he slaps his hands loudly on the counter, “Yes! Would you like to work here?!”

“...yes?”  you answer stepping back.

“You’re hired,” the boy says, dead serious.

“Wait that’s it? You’re not going to interview me? Do a background check? I could be a mass murderer you know,”

“You could be an international drug lord for all I care, I’m desperate for some help. Do you know how hard it is to study for finals and manage an entire store all by yourself during the holiday season? I haven’t slept in days!”

You give him a sympathetic look.

“Besides I recognize you. You’re that girl who quit her job and stood up for her monster boyfriend at that one diner right? Anyone who does that is good in my book. Plus you have pretty good taste in manga,”

“Sans isn’t my boyfriend, he’s just a friend,” you clarify but the boy smirks anyway, “When should I start?”

“Tomorrow morning good for you? The store opens at 8 so your shift would be from  8am to 3pm, but you should probably come in earlier so I can show you how things run,”

“That sounds great,” you smile.

“Good. My name is Daniel Martin by the way, I’m the owner,” he shakes your hand.

“___,” you smile and wave goodbye.

Pride pumps through you as you let out a big whoop, not caring who stares at you.  You spring into the stores you checked out earlier and bought all the items you were eyeing; a spaghetti cookbook for Papyrus (his pasta doesn’t  make you want to hurl anymore), a sick leather jacket for Undyne, a red scarf for Frisk so they can match with Papyrus, a nice apron for Toriel, and you already bought the manga for Alphys. The only person you couldn’t find something for was Sans. You’d think after watching him for so long you’d know what he’d want but you still couldn’t come up with anything. He already has tons of joke books, you can’t afford a telescope, and ketchup seems too easy. You want to give him a gift that means something.

The term boyfriend rings in your mind and you quickly shove it away, cheeks turning bright red. That could never happen. No  matter you nice you feel around him, or wonder what it would be like to kiss a skeleton, it just cannot happen.  He’s only known you for a month, goddamit. Not to mention you live with him1 You have absolutely no feelings for him. He’s just fun to be around and he’s there when you need him. Completely normal and platonic friendship feelings.

* * *

 

You decide to take the bus home this time and you open the front door, surprised to see Papyrus making sandwiches.

“Hey Papy, you’re home early,” you carry the gifts into your room and hide them in your closet and join Papyrus in the kitchen.

“THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOESN’T HAVE ANYMORE APPOINTMENTS SO I HAVE THE REST OF THE DAY OFF!” the skeleton wraps the sandwich in a plastic wrap and moves onto another, “ALSO FRISK WANTS TO GO TO THE BEACH TODAY BEFORE WINTER BREAK ENDS!”

“The beach? At this time of year?” you slap some mayo on a piece of bread.

“WELL IT’S STILL UNUSUALLY HOT FOR DECEMBER AND WHEN IT GETS COLD AT NIGHT WE ARE GOING TO BUILD A BONFIRE!” Papyrus bounces with glee.

“That sounds fun, Papy!” you smile at this enthusiasm.

“DO YOU WANT TO JOIN US HUMAN? UNDYNE AND ALPHYS ARE COMING AND TORIEL IS BRINGING PIE!”

“Of course! I should ask Undyne if I can borrow a swim suit though. I don’t own one,”

After helping Papyrus pack the beach necessities, you climb onto the skeleton’s red convertible and drive to Toriel’s house. Papy explains that to protect the environment, he  and you will be carpooling with Frisk and Toriel. You knock on their door when you arrive and Frisk answers, launching themselves into the arms of the skeleton.

“Papyrus!” Frisk giggles as Papy swings them around.

Papyrus puts down the smaller human and they run to you, which you accept with open arms. You kiss their cheeks and ruffle their hair affectionately.

“Are you and Uncle Sans together yet? Frisk asks excitedly.

“W-What?!”  you feel your face go extremely red as your mouth hangs open in shock.

“Frisk that isn’t very polite,” Toriel suddenly appears in the doorway, wiping her paws on a dish towel.

“Sorry Mom,”  Frisk gives you a toothy grin and lead you inside.

You’ve never been to the child’s home before and you are surprised at how similar it looks to Toriel’s old home in the ruins.

“Frisk, will you and Papyrus carry our things to the car? I wish to have a moment alone with our human friend here,” Toriel instructed.

Frisks and Papyrus eagerly comply, heading to the garage.

“Would you anything to drink my dear?” Toriel guides you to the dining table and takes a seat across from you.

“No thank you,” you decline politely, a shiver of anxiety rush through you.

Your magic stirs unpleasantly in your soul.

“So it seems like Frisk has taken quite a liking to you,” Toriel smiles at you, sensing your apprehension.

“Yeah, they’re really sweet. I love spending time with them,” your uneasiness subsided  a little.

“I’m glad. Frisk has so many monster friends, I was getting worried that they aren’t getting along with other humans. Especially since now they are at the maturing age, and will need someone who understands to guide them,” Toriel phrases the last question quietly and you understand what she is trying to ask of you.

“I will always be there for Frisk,” you say reassuringly.

“Thank you,” Toriell clasps her paws together and pulls the chair back, “Now come on. We mustn't keep them waiting.

The two monsters and two humans shuffle into Toriel’s car with the back loaded with towels, chairs, food, water guns, and bones? You’re going to have to ask Papyrus about that later.

“Will Sans be coming?” you ask curiously.

Next to you, Frisk wiggles their eyebrows at you and you stick your tongue out at them.

“MY BROTHER SAYS HE WILL MEET US THERE WHEN HE IS DONE WITH WORK!” Papyrus replies from the passenger seat.

“Good. I can’t wait to shoot him in the face with a watergun,” you rub your hands mischievously and Frisk laughs.

Toriel parks her car in the parking lot, the tires crunching against the sand and gravel and the sun shines brightly, not a single cloud in sight in the clear blue sky. Papy and Frisk immediately jumps out of the car and rush to the engaged couple who are already setting up the canopy. Toriel gratefully accepts your help with carrying the items out of the trunk. When everything is properly set up, Papyrus sticks his bones in the sand for some reason while Toriel cuts  the pie. Alphys and Undyne are off somewhere probably making out. You join Frisk in making sandcastles  and you are rather impressed by their building skills.

“You know, I’ve never made a sand castle before. Will you teach me?” you ask.

Frisk happily obliges. They demonstrate piling the sand in the a bucket and add just the right amount of water and flipping it. When they finish modeling, the child hands you their bucket and you try it yourself. Two broken sand castles later, you’re at your wits end, angrily shoving the sand into the pail.

“You have to add less water or the sand will get too soft,” Frisk explains, determined to help you build the perfect sandcastle.

“It’s no use Frisky. I’m never going to get this down,” you throw your hands up in the air, frustrated.

“Come on, let’s try one more time,” Frisk encourages you patiently.

You gather the wet sand in the bucket and smooth out the top just like Frisk demonstrated and flip the pail over, counting to ten. You slowly lift up the bucket, revealing a simple sand structure. You quickly add some sand to the base and Frisk brings you seashells to decorate.

“Yes! We did it!” you exclaim happily.

Your sandcastle was lopsided and small, but it does not break which you count as an accomplishment. To you, it was the best sandcastle in the world.

“Hey punk! I brought you a swimsuit!” Undyne calls and throws a black bikini at your face.

You thank Undyne and head to the restroom. You quickly strip down, your nose twitching from the stench of the restroom and slip into the swim suit. It’s slightly too big for you, but nothing a few extra knots couldn’t fix. You step out of the disgusting restroom and inhale the scent of the salty ocean air, rejoining your friends.

Everyone but Toriel runs towards the water, engaging in a water fight. You accidentally splash Alphys pretty hard, which Undyne retaliates by throwing a huge wave at you. You spit out the sea water and push your hair out of your eyes.

“This means war!” you shout and run back to your set up, grabbing the water guns.

Returning to your friends, you toss the plastic toys on the ground and like the tributes in _The Hunger Games_ , everyone grabs their preferred weapon and starts loading it with water.  Papyrus receives the first shot made by Frisk who giggles and expertly dodges all of Undyne’s attacks. Unlike the smaller human, you have little experiences in dodging so most of your friends’ attacks land on you, but you reciprocate with heavier attacks. This activity lasts for about an hour before Sans teleports besides your group in white t-shirt and swim trunks.

“hey guys. water you doing?”

Everyone looks at each other, the same idea flitting through everyone’s minds. You all point your guns at the shorter skeleton and shoot. Sans dodges all of your attacks, Undyne, Papyrus, and Alphys stood in awe.

“what? you think i’m just gonna-” Frisk squirts their gun in Sans’s face.

The child giggles and runs behind your legs while Sans picks up a gun, “you’re gonna have a bad time, kid.”

“___, save me!” Frisk squeals.

“move out of the way sugar,” Sans points his gun at you and grins.

“Never,” you aim your gun and pump it twice, returning the smile.

The two of you stare at each other, both daring the other to make the first move. Suddenly a slap of water hits your cheeks and you turn to the source. Papyrus and Undyne are slapping their knees, high fiving each other. Soon enough the sky turns bright orange and pink as the sun lowers beyond the horizon. All of you head back to Toriel who is greeting everyone with a towel. While you help Frisk dry off, , Alphys and Undyne prepare the bonfire and Sans and Toriel bounce jokes off each other. Papyrus is picking up the discarded toys and puts them in a duffle bag.  Once the fire is lit, you lay a towel next to the couple,  the small child braiding your hair while the heat of the flames warm your face.

“So how are the wedding plans going?” you ask the couple.

“I-It’s going great! Mettaton is in charge of the the p-planning a-and we are g-going dress shopping n-next week!” Alphys says excitedly.

“You and Frisk should join us!” Undyne bellows and Frisk nods eagerly.

“Are monster weddings different than human weddings?” you ask.

Frisk leaves you to crawl on Sans’s lap which wakes him up but he nuzzles them affectionately.  Papyrus offers them a slightly burnt marshmallow which they  gladly accept.

“Not by much. While human wedding traditions usually call for a wedding band to symbolize their love, monsters bond their souls together,” Toriel explains.

“That’s so romantic,” you gush.

“YEAH! Alphys is going to make the best bride!” Undyne smooches the yellow dinosaur and Toriel scolds them not to do that in front of Frisk.

Feeling the chill, you find your shirt and pull it over yourself.

“That’s a pretty cute shirt, ____,” Frisk is trying hard to giggle and you give them a suspicious look, “but I think it’ll look better on Sans’s floor!”

“Frisk!” Toriel gasps, horrified.

“are you hitting on ___...for me?” Sans furiously blush blue as he pushes the kid off of his lap.

Everyone erupts into a roaring fits of laughter and you don’t even have time to get embarrassed. You are too busy gushing at how adorable that was, wiping tears out of your eyes. Sans bury his face in his hands, not attempting to make a joke.

“Looks like someone’s been watching too much _Parks and Recreation_!” your sides are starting to hurt, but you don’t care.

After some teasing at Sans’s expense, everyone calms down with an occasional giggle. Hours after the sun sets, your friends start packing up. You and Frisk carry the chairs and towel back to Toriel’s car, pushing the trunk door up. You place the chairs in the car and thank Frisk when they hand you the towels. A shadow passes in the corner of your eyes and your magic buzzes angrily in your guts.

“Frisk,” you push the human child behind you and step back, shielding them with your body protectively.

A man steps out of the shadows with an arrogant smirk, cracking his knuckles, “Well, well well. Isn’t it my lucky day? The ambassador for monsters standing right in front of me.”

“We don’t want any trouble. Please leave us be,” you keep your voice calm but commanding.

The man tilts his head at you, “I have no business with you. Hand over the kid and I won’t hurt you,”

You take a step back, “Frisk, go get help,”

Frisk  looks at you, reluctant to leave, but you pleaded them with your eyes and mouthed ‘go’. Frisk squeezes your hand, turns around, and runs. The man growls and attempts to follow them, but you block the way, eyes flickering dangerously. You assess the man; he isn’t exactly buff, but he is twice your size and could easily take you down. You don’t know how to fight or defend yourself and your only protection is your magic, but you can’t use it without the risk of being caught. Your only option is to dodge the best you can and delay the attacker until your friends arrive.

Unfortunately for you, you have very poor dodging skills as demonstrated before during the water fight. His fists connects with your jaw  and you double over, but standing your ground.  He tries to swing at you again, but you are able to dodge to your left, though he is still able to kick you hard in the stomach and you fall to the ground, spitting blood.

“Heh,” the man kicks you again and walks in the direction Frisk went.

You think of beautiful, innocent Frisk and fight through the pain, standing up. You grab his shoulders, turning him around, and you aim your fist at his face. The attacker anticipates this and blocks your attack, grabbing your clenched fist and pushing it backward. You yelp and fall to your knees.

“You’re a stubborn bitch, aren’t cha?”  the man pulls out a switchblade from his pocket and for the for the first time, you understand the danger you are in .

The man pulls his arm back and thrust the knife into your left shoulder, blood oozing from the blade. You let out a piercing shriek as the familiar red liquid pours out of you. A flash of Gaster’s lab runs through your mind as your magic pulses in you, clawing at you to be let out, your survival instincts taking over.   ~~Gaster~~  The man prepares another attack, but a blue coat of magic wraps around him, and he is flung against the pavement.

You’re pulled back to reality when you see Sans’s  right eye blaze blue and gold like a wildfire, his hand glowing as he flings the body again against another parked car, leaving a dent.

“Sans! Stop!” you cry out, but he doesn’t listen. He continues to throw the body around like a rag doll. You’re pretty sure the man is unconscious by now.

Knowing what would happen to Sans if he kills the man, you gather all your strength and tackle Sans from behind. You’re not strong enough to knock him down, but you are able to hold his hands down with your arms. You rest your chin on his shoulder.

“Don’t do this,” you say softly. Your stab wound burns like hell, but you block the sensation with your mind like you learned how to do a long time ago. Blood seeps onto Sans’s white shirt.

“He was going to kill Frisk. He was going to kill you. He deserves this,” Sans struggle against your grip, but you’re determined to protect him.

“I know. But you don’t have to stoop to his level. If you do, they’ll take you away from Papyrus. From me. Please Sans. We need you,”

Sans stops struggling and he releases his magical hold on the body. The man is lying  bloody and heavily injured on the ground, but still alive.

Your vision goes hazy and your knees tremble as the world spins around you. Sans holds you, and gently leans you against Toriel’s car. He takes off his shirt and presses it against your wound. For the first time, you notice how nicely the moonlight reflects off of his white bones.

“Stay with me, sugar,” Sans pushes a strand of hair out of your face.

“Not gonna pass out, bone boy,” you chuckle. It’s hard to focus, but you’ve endured worse.

Finally the rest of your friends arrive, gasping at your current state. Toriel and Alphys rush over to you inspecting your injuries. Toriel raises a green glowing paw and you flinch away.

“Do not be alarmed, my dear. This will take away the pain,” Toriel hovers her paw over your shoulder.

Sans moves out of the way, but grasps your hand, his thumb tracing your palm.

“Y-You’ll be okay,” Alphys diagnosed, “I-It’s j-just a flesh wound a-and a f-few s-scratches, b-but you d-did lose a bit of b-blood. Y-You’ll need p-plenty of fluids and l-lots of rest. We h-have to t-take you to the h-hospital-”

“NO!” you shriek.

Everyone looks at you, taken aback.

“No,” you repeat, softer this time, “I’m fine. I just need a few stitches right? I can do them myself. This is nothing for me,”

“W-We h-have t-to make sure-” Alphys tries to reason with you, but you cut her off.

“No hospital. Please,” you beg.

“O-Okay. B-But we n-need to g-get it stitched up f-fast,” Alphys fixes her glasses, “Sans c-can you t-teleport us to y-your h-house? The others c-can meet us there,”

Sans nods and picks you up, instructing Alphys to hang onto this arm. The skeleton teleports you into the living room and runs to the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit. Alphys helps you pull your shirt over your head and looks at you when she finally notices your scars. Your eyes darken intensely and she understands your message. Don’t ask. You don’t flinch when when Alphys expertly pulls the needle and thread through your flesh, in fact you find it soothing. Sans watches the entire process and you don’t have to be a mind reader to know what he is thinking.

“O-Okay d-done. Drink a-a glass of w-water before b-bed  and g-get a-at least 10 hours o-of r-rest,” Alphys instructs and heads into the bathroom to clean up.

“you should get some sleep. i’ll let the others know that you are okay when they get here,” Sans brings you a cup of water and you down it in one gulp.

“Okay,” you say then remembered something, “Shit, I have to call Daniel,”

“who’s daniel?,” Sans asks a little too quickly.

“Oh I forgot to mention. I got a job today. Daniel’s my boss. I was suppose to start tomorrow,” you dial your phone and Daniel answers on the third ring.

You tell your story to your new boss and he is understanding although skeptical.

“Will you be okay?” Daniel asks.

“I’ll be fine. Can I come in on Monday instead?”

“Okay, but if you’re not better by then, let me know,”

You thank your new boss and hang up the phone. Sans helps you get into bed and once you head is resting comfortably against the pillow the skeleton shows no signs of leaving.

“You don’t need to watch me, you know. I’m going to be okay,” your eyes are dropping but you wished Sans would leave first.

“i almost lost you today. i don’t want anything to happen to you,”

“Pssh please. You can’t get rid of me that easily. Besides, Alphys says that I’m in STABle condition,”  you giggle slightly at your pun.

“that’s not funny,” but Sans laughs anyway.

“It is and you know it. Now please go. Get some rest yourself. You must be burnt out from all the magic you used. It’s kinda creepy if you just watch me sleep,”

Sans sighs and leaves reluctantly, pausing at your doorway, “goodnight sugar,”

“Night bone boy,” you reply, falling asleep with a smile on your face.


	9. Redacted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are a jerk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Some slight changes about Alphys. I recently rewatched Cry's run of Undertale and I noticed Alphys doesn't stutter as much as I originally thought, so I will make some slight changes to her dialogue. She'll still have her stutter, just not every other word. This is a huge relief to me since I hate writting the stutters. 
> 
> Also, I'm kinda insecure about this chapter. I wrote and rewrote it so many times and this is what came out and I'm still kind of 'eh' about it. Maybe in the future I will rewrite it when my writing skills improve. 
> 
> Let me know if you find any mistakes so I can correct them!
> 
>  
> 
> [ My Tumblr ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

You slowly open your eyes, the light shining through your windows, dust particles floating in the air. There is a throbbing ache in your shoulder like pressure forcing down on it and your jaw is heavily bruised; you could still feel the force of the punch. You whimper when you sit up, your entire body sore as if someone beat the crap out of you. Oh wait they did. You pull your collar back to inspect your stab wound. It looks like it’s healing nicely, though the skin around it is dark purple with splotches of sickly yellow. It reminds you of Frankenstein’s monster.

You gingerly pull the blankets off you, and swing your legs out of bed, immediately regret it. Your head is pounding angrily and your stomach lurched, throwing you off balance. You grip your nightstand to regain your composure, and take a moment to breathe. You have to remember to breath. Ugh, you can’t believe how **weak** you’re being right now. You’ve taken hundreds of beatings, some worse than this and you were always able to get back on your feet the very next day! Hell, you’ve been sliced open repeatedly for years! Why are you so goddamn useless right now? Electricity sparks in front of you and your body becomes heavier, barely able to hold yourself up. Getting frustrated won’t help, you’ll only use up more of your energy.  You let go of your nightstand, focus on balance, one foot in front of the other, ignore the pain. Balance. Step. Ignore. Repeat.  Finally you reach the door and you turn the handle. An overwhelming scent of pancakes invades your nose, a stomach growl filling you with determination.

Alphys and Undyne are snoring in each other’s arms on the couch, a blanket falling off of them. The skelebros are nowhere in sight. You float to the kitchen, following the delicious smell where Toriel is flipping pancakes.

“Toriel?” you call her, your voice soft and scratchy, “What are you doing here?”

“My dear, you mustn't get out of bed!” the goat mother helps you back into your bed; you are slightly disappointed for your lost efforts, “Everyone spent the night at the brother’s house. After what happened last night, we wanted to make sure you were okay. I’ll bring you your breakfast in just a moment,”

Toriel leaves the door slightly open, allowing you to hear Alphys’s soft snores. The goat monster returns with a stack of golden pancakes, dotted blue, topped with whipped cream. Your mouth waters at the sight and you had to restrain yourself from launching into it when Toriel sets it on your lap. You take a bite, the pancakes melting in your mouth like butter, blueberries popping in your mouth like pop rocks. Your thoughts immediate flitter to Sans and his real smile. How his jokes always make you laugh, no matter how bad and stupid they are, the way he held you last night, how his cheek bones adorably blushes blue when he’s flustered. It makes your heart swell.

“Sans mentioned you like blueberries, so I put some in the batter. Is that okay?” Toriel asks, her presence radiating motherly warmth.

“It’s good Toriel!” you exclaim, moving too fast.

Your shoulder throbs again, reality of what could’ve happened last night hits you like a train. Before you could stop them, hot tears roll down your cheeks and pill onto your arms. A shudder runs through you as you cover your face, choking sobs escapes you.

“My dear, what is the matter?” Toriel wraps her arms around you, her fur soft and silky like a comforting blanket.

What were you thinking?! You could’ve died last night! You knew you couldn’t take him on, why were you trying to play the hero? Frisk. You did it for Frisk. He was going to hurt them and you couldn’t let that happen no matter what. You would do it over and over if it meant keeping them safe. Even dying if you have to. But still, you don’t want to die. You can’t go back there, to the blankness, the nothingness. You once embraced such a thing but now, you will do every possible thing you can to never go there again. Never again.

“I was so scared! It hurt so much! I thought I was going to die Toriel…”  you sob loudly, your tears staining Toriel’s dress.

“It’s okay, my dear. I’m here. You’re safe,” Toriel brings you closer, smoothing out your hair and comforting you with her soothing voice.

“____?” a voice calls you from the doorway.

“Frisk!” you let go of  Toriel and extend your arms, inviting the small child.

The human rushes to you, crawling on you, careful not to irritate any of your injuries.

Frisk buries their face into your breasts, tears falling down their cheeks and onto your skin, “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have to left you!”

“Hey, it’s not you fault, Frisky,” you kiss the top of their head and smooth out her hair like Toriel was doing to you, “If you had stayed he would’ve hurt both of us. You saved me by getting Sans. Thank you.”

“You don’t hate me?” Frisk sniffles.

“I could never hate you! Is that what you’re so worried about? I don’t hate you Frisk,” you tightened your embrace. You could never imagine anyone hurting such a sweet child, but then again, you know the dark potential humankind holds.

Toriel wraps her large arms around both of you, “I’m so relieved that you two are okay. My children…”

Your breath stops when the impact of Toriel’s words hit you, your soul cracking just a bit. This. This is what you wanted so long ago; Toriel as a mother, your sibling in your arm. You finally have it, but somehow it makes it hurt so much more. You feel your sins crawling on your back. Your sister should be here, not Frisk. She could’ve had this with you, but no, instead you abandoned her and got yourself captured. Your soul cracks a little more, your magic flaring inside you. You can’t do this right now, you’re too raw, too hurt.

“I’m sorry, could I have a moment alone please?” you ask.

“Of course. Come along Frisk,” Toriel takes the human’s hands and leads them out the door, leaving you alone with your thoughts.  

Now that they are gone, you are finally able to breathe again. You love them to death, but it’s suffocating keeping secrets from them. You debate on just coming clean about everything; falling, Gaster, your magic. Surely they would understand right? You don’t know how long you could keep this up. You should tell them. You have to tell them. But you don’t. Sans would hate you. He would tell you to get out of his life for what you did to his father. You could still hear his cries sometimes, begging for mercy and forgiveness. Though it haunts you, you never regretted what you did. No. Everyone will hate you. And that will destroy you.

You wipe away the tears. You are so fucking tired of crying. Enough now, ___, get yourself together! Recollecting yourself, you run your fingers through your hair, feeling it slip through your fingers. Ugh, it’s gross and oily.  You need a shower. You hear a knock on your door and Alphys comes in with a glass of water which she sets aside on your nightstand.

“H-Hey ___, how are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” you reply.

“That’s uhm, understandable,” Alphys chuckles, “May I check your bandages?”

You nod your head and Alphys helps you take of your tank top, trailing her eyes over your wounds. She frowns when she finds a jagged purple scar running down your stomach, stopping at the top of your pelvis. Although it has been many years, this scar never faded like the others. Instead it persisted to stay fresh and pink, the skin around the area tightening around it. Alphys reaches to touch it, but you flinch away, snarling.

“I-I’m sorry!” Alphys pulls back, but takes your hands and uncharacteristically looks you in the eyes, “But I have to know. What happened?”

You expression darkens and you look away, not being able to hold the intense gaze of the royal scientist.

“Doesn’t matter. It happened,nothing I can do to change it,” you voice is deep and hollow.

“___, maybe you should talk to someone? It’s not good to hold these things to-”

“Alphys, you and I both know we keep secrets for our own protection,” you snap, unable to tolerate her lecture.

Alphys’s eyes go wide, guilt and hurt written all over her face. You’re so goddamn stupid. Of course the True Labs are still a sore subject to her!

“Shit, Alphys I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped like that,” You attempt to apologize.

“No, no, I shouldn’t have pushed,” Alphys keeps her head down and stands up while you put your tank top back on, “Uhm, let me know if you have a-anymore problems. I have to go.”

“Alphys wait!” you call her, but she ignores you and leaves.

You hobble after her, but when you open your door, everyone is already in the living room devouring a stack of pancakes and greeting you warmly when they see you.

“HUMAN! YOU’RE LOOKING MUCH BETTER! IT MUST BE TORIEL’S PANCAKES!” Papyrus looks genuinely relieved.

Sans waves to you and pats an empty seat next to him. It seems like apologizing will have to wait til later. You accept his offer and sit down next to him, your knees touching.  You look over to Alphys who was sitting next her fiancée, head hanging low fiddling with her thumbs. Undyne notices Alphys’s despondent mood and quietly questions her which Alphys only answers with a weak smile. The fish monster figures out that you are probably the cause of her mood and shoots you a dirty look. You turn away in shame.

Sans explains that after he teleported you home last night, Toriel and Frisk spoke to the police, explaining what had happened. With a bloody and unconscious human body lying on the ground surrounded by monster and a human child, the police didn’t believe them at first, but luckily a security camera captured the entire ordeal so they ruled Sans’s attacks as self defense. It turns out the man, Sean Grey, is an active member of a monster hate gang dedicated to stuffing the monsters back into the underground. They believe that it’s the same gang that is responsible for the recent crimes. Grey was charged for assault of a child and intention of murder and is currently awaiting trial.

“I hope he gets a long sentence,” you say outloud, your anger boiling.

Sans finds your hand and traces your palm with his thumb, instantly calming you down.

“ENOUGH OF THAT! TO CELEBRATE YOUR SURVIVAL, UNDYNE AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL TRAIN YOU SO THIS NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN,” Papyrus says excitedly.

“Yeah. Sure,” Undyne doesn’t share Papyrus’s enthusiasm and the room goes still in awkward silence.

“ANYWAY...WE SHALL START WHEN YOU ARE FULLY RECOVERED!” Papyrus cuts through the awkwardness.

“That sounds great Papy. Thank you,” you say quietly, wanting to retreat back into your room.

If things weren’t awkward between you and Alphys (Undyne too) training would’ve sounded great. It would be a great way to release your pent up energy, allowing you to have a better control on your magic during dire situations. It’ll also allow you to protect the people you love if the situation calls for it. You look over to Undyne and Alphys again. The yellow monster seems distracted by the hem of her shirt and Undyne and glaring at you intensely. Whelp. You’re in a for a bad time.

* * *

 

Your hands tighten around his cervical  vertebrae, momentarily forgetting that he doesn’t have a throat to crush, but with the help of the fallen monsters, you wrapped your magic around his soul and flung him across the room where he destroyed a case of unknown chemicals. The scientist grunted and summoned a gaster blaster, the attack charging in its mouth. Your body moving on its own, dodged the beam and sliced through the creature, turning it into dust. Sweat formed on Gaster’s skull, his eye sockets twitching as the white orbs disappeared. You heard the hum of every atom , held together by a positive and negative charge, and manipulate those charges to form in your palm. You throw the force of energy at Gaster’s small white soul. He dodged and summoned sharp white bones around him and with incredible speed, the bones charged at you. You lifted up your hands, yellow tendrils of electricity spark from your fingers and wrapped around the attack and return it, all the bones missed except one that lands directly into his shoulder bones. The scientist falls back, howling in pain and anger, rendering disabled for a moment.  Now is your chance.

The machine.

You obey your instincts and wrap an energy tendril around Gaster’s body, holding his arms at his sides. He struggled in your grip, his expression mixed with anger, fear, and scientific excitement. You opened the glass door of the machine and shove him inside, his skull cracking and caving in. Realizing what you were about to do, he banged on the glass door with heavy force, and cry in fear.

“NO! NO! Do you know what this machine does? It doesn’t even work!” Gaster shouted, desperate to be released.

His words doesn’t register in your head. Only the voices. Justice. Justice. Justice. Fate worse than death. Just like us.

You lift up for hand, collecting the energy surrounding you. The electricity crackles around you, furious and vengeful, and attack the machine with the skeleton inside.

But nothing happened.

Again.

But nothing happened.

Again! Again! Again! You want him gone! Erase him! He doesn’t deserve to live! He did this to you! He did this to us! More! Don’t give up!

You poured everything into your next attack. Your fear, your anger, your hatred, your pain. It hurt so much!  

The machine roared to life, the lights blinking rapidly as a booming swooshing noise emitted from the machine.

“Stop it please! Mercy! Please give me mercy!” Gaster pleaded, blue and orange tears flowing.

He showed us no mercy. Why should we?

You prepared your final attack and gave it your all.

“Nooo!” Gaster shrieked as the Void forms behind the glass where Gaster is on his knees, fearing for his life.

The Void reached out for anything to consume and found the whimpering skeleton. Gaster shrieked as the black nothingness touched him, encompassing his body in Void. It tore him apart, reducing him into nothing but a glitch.

“[REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED]” [REDACTED]

He is not dead. He can’t die. He will never die. He is everywhere and nowhere. He doesn’t exist.

Who is W.D. Gaster?

You were breathing hard, magic returned to your soul. What just happened? You slid to the floor, you hand twitching at how much dust had gathered. The machine goes quiet and an unnatural stillness fills the room. Even the voices had gone silent.

You bury your head in your hands, laughing softly. What did you just do? What happened to you? Did you just kill a man? You can’t kill someone who doesn’t exist. Your laughter becomes more intense, filling up the silence with your maniacal howls. Man, you aren’t even human anymore are you? You’re a freak! You have these **things** crawling inside you, slithering around your body, burning you up. You kept laughing at the pain. Burning! You were burning! A combustion erupts in your soul, an inferno fire taking over you as your laughter turns into screams.

Join us. Join us. Join us.

No! You can’t! Your sister, you have to save your sister! You can’t die now! Not after everything you’ve been through, you can’t die here! You have to live!

The flames ignored you, crackling on your skin, scorching your very being. You’re laughing at the irony, the misery, and screaming at your despair. Your flesh drips onto the blue tile, your fingers transforming into black dust. There’s no green medicine to save you now. You heard your heartbeat go faster and faster, accelerating with every cry, pumping right out of your chest. Until. It. Finally. Stopped.

Dark.

Darker.

Yet Darker.


	10. Snowflakes Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undyne tries to kill you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup. So this was never in the plan. Alphys wasn't suppose to find out in this arc at all. But after some careful considering, I think this would really help with some future developments. Since I put this in here, this arc is going to be long than I thought, but theres no harm in that right? 
> 
> WOW DOUBLE DIGITS?!! Seriously?? Double digits and I reached 50 pages on my google doc which I use as a backup. I can't tell you guys how happy this makes me. Thank you to those who have been supporting me and sticking with me this far. You know who you are ;)
> 
> Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave a comment down below or talk to me on [ my tumblr ](maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

“Come on, ___, try harder!” Undyne throws another spear at you which you dodge, but not before the sharp point nicked your arm.

“Undyne, stop, please. I need a break,” you plead, panting on the ground like a dog as sweat runs down your neck.

“Your opponent won’t give you breaks!” another spear launches at you and you roll out of the way, but Undyne quickly throws another and it goes right through your chest, HP falling to 5. You wonder why you aren’t bleeding right now.

You cry out in pain, quickly pulling the spear out of you. You don’t know how long you can keep this up. Not only are you physically exhausted, but your magic is raging inside you and you can’t keep it in much longer. If Undyne throws another attack, you don’t think you could hold back. The fish monster showed no mercy. She throws another spear at you and you brace yourself, but the weapon never hits you. Papyrus intervenes, blocking the spear with a bone.

“UNDYNE STOP! YOU’RE SUPPOSE TO TRAIN HER, NOT KILL HER!” Papyrus shouts firmly.

“Hmph. We go again tomorrow,” Undyne crosses her arms, not looking at you.

“Can’t. I start work tomorrow,” you say weakly.

“Look punk, do you want to stay weak your whole life or what?” Undyne spat.

“UNDYNE! THAT’S NOT VERY NICE,” Papyrus shot her a look before turning his attention to you. He fishes for a monster candy in his pocket and gives it to you.

“Whatever. I’m going home,” Undyne goes through the back door and you hear her car pull out of the driveway.

“THAT WAS...SOMETHING,” Papyrus scratches his head.

You pop the monster candy in your mouth, feeling your HP restore to the max and all sense of fatigue washes away.

“It’s okay Papy. We’re not exactly in the best place right now,” you get up, patting the dirt off of your jeans.

“WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN YOU TWO?” Papyrus asks, concerned that his friends are fighting.

“I uh… said something that upset Alphys and because I upset Alphys, Undyne is mad at me,” you explain, hanging our head down in remorse.

“HMM...I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, KNOW A WAY TO FIX THIS! BUT FIRST, LUNCH!”

“Food. Food is good. Why don’t we visit Sans at the hotdog stand and get something to eat there?”

“THAT’S A GREAT IDEA, HUMAN!” Papyrus smirks and drags you into his car.

During the car ride, a thought peaks your curiosity and you question Papyrus about it, “Hey Papy, when Undyne’s spear hit me, why wasn’t there any blood? And how was I able to even survive that?”

“UNDYNE’S ATTACKS ARE MAGIC BASED AND MAGIC ONLY ATTACKS THE SOUL. YOUR SOUL HAS ABOUT 20 HP AND SHE ONLY GOT IT DOWN TO 5 HP,” Papyrus explains, stopping at a red light.

“Ok, but what about when I got beat up? With monster food it took me a few days to recover. Faster than normal yeah, but a mere monster candy was able to restore me right away,” you reach to lower the AC.

“MONSTER FOOD HEALS THE SOUL BETTER THAN PHYSICAL ATTACKS!”

“Ah that makes sense. Thanks for explaining that to me,”

“NYEH HEH HEH!”

You arrive at the local park, climbing onto the taller skeleton’s shoulder to see the world in a different view. No matter how old you are, you will never get tired of it. It’s quite the beautiful day outside. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, on days like these, the kids are running around catching butterflies and rolling around in the evergreen grass. The winter breeze goes by, tickling your cheeks with its chill. In the distance, you could see Sans reclining in a plastic chair, feet resting on the stand and eye sockets closed. Papyrus puts you down, vexed by his brother’s laziness. He goes to wake up his brother, but you stop him, a mischievous grin spreads across your face. You grab a ketchup bottle from the stand and toss the mustard to the younger skeleton. You tell Papy your plan and he eagerly agrees. You sneak up behind the sleeping skeleton and using his head as a canvas, you squirt the ketchup all over him. You wrote ‘lazybones’ across his skull and doodled various bones and hell, even a dick, because you are very mature. Papyrus chose to draw rings around his brother’s eye sockets and giving him a goatee under his teeth. He asks to borrow your ketchup bottle to finish off with a mustache.  When both of you finish your masterpiece, you snap a picture and send it to Toriel and Frisk. Soon, you and Papy can’t hold back your laughter any long and soon enough, Sans wakes up. At first, he looks delighted to see the both of you, but his expression shifts into confusion when you two wouldn’t stop laughing.

“is there something on my face?” Sans asks, prompting you and the skeleton to laugh harder.

A drop of ketchup from Sans’s moustache drips onto the back of his skeletal hands and his white orbs go wide in realization.

“you did not,”

“Oops. Looks like you caught us...red-handed!” you hold up your ketchup stained hands and giggle.

“SANS YOU ARE BAD INFLUENCE ON HER!” Papyrus is appalled by your pun.

“i relish in your misery, bro,” Sans licks his teeth, catching the dripping condiments.

Since when did he have a tongue?

“BROTHER I MOUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION!” holy cow did Papy just make a pun? You fall

onto the grass clutching your sides, your laughter ringing throughout the park, “MAY WE HAVE TWO HOT DOGS PLEASE!”

Sans grumbles, but his amusement stays as he hands you and Papy your lunches, “That’ll be 5,000g”

“Saaans,” you roll your eyes.

“heh. i’m just kidding. it’s on me,”

“Literally” you chuckle.  

Sans sticks out a glowing blue tongue and uhm wow, you don’t know how to feel about that. You and Papy wave goodbye to Sans who is cleaning up his face and walk back to the skeleton’s car, hand in hand. You take a bite of your hot dog and your face scrunches up. It taste like a water sausage. You reach the car and Papyrus opens the door for you like a gentleman and you beam at him. He climbs into the passenger seat drives.

“Hey Papy, what should I get Sans for Christmas?” you ask.

“HE LIKES THE STARS!” Papyrus replies.

“I know, but I can’t exactly afford a telescope,” you say disappointed.

“MAYBE YOU CAN TRY SOMETHING WITH STARS ON THEM?” Papyrus offers.

An idea suddenly comes to you and smile brightly. Yes, that’ll be a great idea!

“I just thought of something! Thank you Papy!”

“NYEH HEH HEH! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, IS ALWAYS THERE TO HELP! SPEAKING OF HELPING…”

The tall skeleton drives right past your neighborhood and you tilt your head in confusion.

“Papyrus, where are we going?”

“NYEH HEH HEH! YOU’LL SEE!” the skeleton runs a red light.

“Is this a kidnapping? Are you kidnapping me? I’m gonna call Sans,”

“NO HUMAN! WE ARE HAVING A SLEEPOVER WITH UNDYNE AND ALPHYS!”

If you were drinking water, you would do a spit take right around now.

“Papy, I don’t think that’s a good idea…” but seeing the skeleton’s disappointment changes your mind, “but I guess it’s worth a shot.”

Papyrus beams at you and goes off on a tangent on how much fun the four of you are going to have. You’d be lying if you said you’d shared his enthusiasm. You’ve tried to reach out to Alphys multiple times, but she doesn’t want to see you. A small part of you isn’t too keen on seeing her either. Because of your slip up, she definitely must know that you know more than you let on. And she’ll keep digging and digging until you are fully exposed and everyone will hate you. So it’s about time you tell her yourself. It’s going to be a long day.

Papyrus pulls up into the couple’s driveway and rings the doorbell. A moment later, Undyne answers and greets the skeleton warmly, “Papyrus, didn’t we just see each other an hour ago? What are you doing here?”

“SURPRISE SLEEPOVER!” Papyrus cheers and ushers you inside.

Upon seeing you, Undyne goes sour, but keeps her hospitality, “Come into the kitchen. I’ll get you something to drink,”

The fish monster leads you into the kitchen, preparing the tea. She hands you the drink a small cup and you take a sip, your nerves instantly relaxing. The couple’s home isn’t too big, surprising considering their paychecks, but it is spacious. Anime posters decorate the walls and figurines litter every table. The trash is overflowing with  instant noodle wrappers. This isn’t too bad, as long as Papy is here you all can avoid an awkward situation.

“I JUST REMEMBERED SOMETHING! I HAVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO DO TODAY! YOU GUYS HAVE FUN!” Papyrus jumps out of the open window and sticks the landing. He rushes to the car and drives away, leaving you alone with an annoyed fish warrior.

That little shit. A strange sense of deja vu fills you.

“Why does he always do that?” Undyne turns to you, the gold in her eyes gleaming dangerously, “I’ll call you a cab home,”

“N-No Undyne wait,” Alphys suddenly appears in the kitchen, “I-I want to talk to her.”

“Are you sure babe? You don’t have to, I could send her home right now,” Undyne rubs her fiancee’s back.

“I’m sure. There are things we need to discuss,” Alphys looks at you firm and serious, making you gulp with apprehension.

You’ve never seen this side of Alphys before. Releasing the Amalgamates and coming to the surface has really boosted her confidence. You’re really proud of her.  

“Come take a walk with me,” you stand up, pushing your chair back.

* * *

Alphys nods and tells you to wait by the front door so she could get a coat on. When she’s ready, she meets you at the door, her girlfriend trailing behind her. You dart your eyes to Undyne then back to Alphys and subtly shake your head.

“U-Udyne could you stay home please?” Alphys asks.

“What? No! What if something happens to you?” Undyne’s gold eyes flicker to you for a second and you do your best to mask your hurt.

“I, uhm, programmed an attack mode on my cellphone in case of emergencies,”

“...alright.” the fish monster looks defeated but steps toward you, using her size as an intimidation tactic, “If anything happens to her, I will kill you.”

“Understood,” you reply, “Let’s go Alphys.”

You lead the monster to the cursed mountain, neither of you speaking, both of you thinking of what to say. Twenty minutes later, you reach the base of the mountain and climb. Alphys decides that this was a good moment to ask her question.

“What you said before...what did you mean by that?”

“You know what I meant,” there’s no point in avoiding the truth now.

“The True Labs,” your silence is her answer.

You focus on climbing, almost at the entrance of the barrier. Alphys goes quiet again, processing the information in her intellectual brain. She slips on a rock and you catch her just in time before she falls. She shoots you a grateful look and and you nod your head. Finally you reach the entrance and climb inside.

“You were part of the Underground, weren’t you?” Alphys asks when she noticed that you know exactly where you are going.  Passing by the Judgement Hall gives you chills.

“Yes, I was,” you say quietly, half expecting the world to end.

You use the elevators as shortcuts and head toward the river where the riverperson awaits. The familiar sense of uneasiness returns as you help Alphys onto the boat. The swooshing of the black waters triggers an unwanted memory. A shattered soul lost in the darkness, calling for help. But nobody came.

“Snowdin, please,” you request after snapping back to the present,

“Tra la la beware of Fridays, the riverperson sings.

The boat moves quickly, water splashing at your jeans until you finally reach Snowdin. The snow crunches under your footsteps, the chill crawling up your spine. It’s so quiet here now that everyone has gone up to the surface. It reminds you so much of that place and you reach for Alphys’s claws to get a grip on the present again. You continue forward.

“How is that possible? All six of the human souls disappears after Frisk broke the barrier,”

You chuckle softly, “I’m not one of the six souls,”

Alphys goes quiet again. You lead the monster past the skelebro’s house and onto a hidden path leading into the woods.

“Not many people find this path. I’m sure Sans knows about it though,” you reach the end of the road, where a burnt cabin laid in ruins, it remains scorched and black, littered with dust and snow. You take a seat on the snow and motion Alphys to do the same, “There’s a hidden lab under that cabin. That was my home for several years.”

“Who are you?” Alphys stares at you.

“My name is ___. I fell down here when I was a kid. Never made it out,” you reply, your voice cracking.

“What happened to you?”

“Do you know that name W.D. Gaster?” the snow falls onto your shoulder; you don’t bother brushing it off.

“No,” Alphys tilts her head in confusion.

“I thought so. He doesn’t exist. Only Sans and I remember him, I think. He’s the one that gave me these scars,”

“I-I don’t understand,” Alphys furrows her brows.

“Heh. Of course not. I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me start from the beginning…”

So you tell Alphys everything. Your fall, meeting Toriel, what Gaster did to you, what you did to Gaster, and everything up until Frisk broke the barrier in this timeline. Well, you  didn’t mention the timeline part. That’s Frisk’s story.  Throughout your tale, Alphys listens intently, a mixture of horror, pity, and anger flashing through her eyes. In the end, she wraps her scaly arms around you and doesn’t let go, her tears falling down your back as your own tears spill. It’s both a relief and a bit scary to get this all out. You’ve finally come clean of your sins, but you were afraid of how Alphys would react. But judging how she’s holding onto you right now, you don’t have to worry about that anymore.

“Alphys, I am so sorry for hurting you before,” you mutter into her jacket.

The yellow monster lets you go and holds your gaze, “___, I forgive you. I-I am so sorry for what you had to go through. But I have just one question. You said, you died, but how are you here right now?”

You thought for a moment and shrug, “I don’t really know. I have a theory, but it involves Frisk, so I can’t say it just yet. It’s not my story to tell.”

“M-May I see your magic?” Alphys asks shyly.

You smile and form and feel the energy pulse around you and manipulate a ball of that energy into your palm. Alphys marvels at you, adjusting her glasses as her eyes go wide in amazement. She reaches out to touch it, but you pull back, not wanting her to get hurt.

“Sorry, I don’t know if it’ll hurt you,” you smile sheepishly.

“N-No worries. Do you uhm, think it’ll be possible if you come by my lab someday? I would like to run some tests” seeing your horrified expression she quickly explains, “Just some scans, I p-promise! It’s completely harmless! It’s just that a human never had this amount of magic in them before and I need to know what are the long term risks for you.”

“Long term risks? I never thought of that. Just don’t stick a needle in me and I think we’ll be okay,” you say.

The two of you fall silent again.

“Are you going to tell them? Are you going to tell Sans?”

You hesitate, “Sans is smart. He’ll figure something is up eventually. It’s probably better if he hears it from me, huh? But...I’m not ready. I’m scared Alph. I care about him. I care about all of you. What if he pushes me away? What if he tells me to get out of his life? I literally erased his father, who he loved, from existence. He’ll never forgive me, and that will destroy me.”

“Sans wouldn’t do that. I-I think he’ll understand,”

You are unconvinced, “Alphys, I know this is asking a lot, but please just keep this between us?”

“...I will,”

You trace a shape into the snow.

“Do you think it would’ve worked? Gaster’s plan to use to me to break the barrier, I mean. Would I have been able to save you all?”  you close your eyes and chuckle, “Heh. Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”

You and Alphys go silent, sitting together in the snow as snowflakes fall onto the shambles of the cabin. Hope swells inside. Hope for the future, for your life. Right now, it feels like everything will be okay.

But it won’t.


	11. The Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sadly, this chapter is too short for a summery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is a super short chapter that was gonna be a part of one big chapter, but I decided to separate it so it'd be a sneak peak of what's next. It's going to be a long one and I wanted to take my time and be extra diligent so it will take a while to upload.

Dark.

Darker.

Yet Darker. 

That’s all there is and all that’s known. A shattered soul lost within its deep depths. A memory. Its memory of the color green. The vines of a grape. The petals of a clover. The kindness of a soul. The soul was shattered. But it refused. The lost fragments, found again, stitched together by determination. But it still wasn’t enough. 


	12. Continue Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet the skeleton brothers for the first time and have an awkward moment with a sleeping Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \---Warning---  
> This chapter contains mild suggestive themes, but you guys could handle it right? After all that's why most of you are here you dirty skeleton sinners. 
> 
> This chapter was originally going to be 6,000 words, but I cut out some stuff since they weren't essential to the plot and isn't that good anyway. Soo sorry for the slow update on this chapter. Not only did I want to get this very important chapter right, I lost the motivation to push myself through. Plus i wasted an entire day going through the babybones tag on tumblr haha. As always let me know if there are any mistakes I need to fix because it's late where I live and I am very tired. 
> 
>  
> 
> [Want updates and see my progress? Follow me on Tumblr! ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

The first thing you saw when you opened your eyes was a charred cabin in rubbles, piled with dust and snow. It was almost as if you’ve woken up from a dream, unsure if this is reality. You touched your hands, your sides, your neck. Is this real? You feel a slight buzz in your chest, not uncomfortable, but definitely foreign. You had an urge to call out to it, willing it to come out. Your golden soul obeys, floating in your palms. It’s wistfully small, no bigger than a fist, lined with deep crack sprawling in all directions like a broken mirror. You were alive? Haha. You’re alive! You actually survived somehow! You’re free!

You jumped in happiness and relief, shouting at the top of your lungs, rejoicing in the irony of your situation. Live or die, you could never make up your mind, but this time, for sure, you wanted to live. You wanted to see your sister again. You were laughing as your soul grows brighter, overcome by joy, something you haven’t felt in a long time.

Your laughter faded as the snow continued to fall, the destroyed cabin still nothing but a pile of burnt wood and dust. You were all alone. Now what? You’ve thought of this moment a million times and now…? You have no clue what to do next. Gaster told you that the king was looking for humans to capture them so you should avoid monsters right? But this was the Underground. There was no way you could navigate through it without being seen.  Toriel! She could help you! It had been years, but she wouldn’t turn you away right? With a goal in mind and filled with determination, you continue forward on your journey.

After getting lost in the woods for what seemed like hours, you finally found the exit of the ruins. The door was just as majestic as you remembered it, with the emblem at the top.

“Toriel! It’s me! Please open the door!” you yelled.

You raised your fist to bang on the door, but the moment your hand touched the wood, your fist phased right through it, like a cheap horror movie effect.  You shrieked and jumped back, holding your arm close to your chest, your heartbeat beating fast. What the actual fuck? Your raise your fist to try again, but hearing a twig snap behind you, you immediately jump behind the bush, peeking through the leaves. A short figure in a blue hoodie sauntered up to the door and knocked twice, a thunderous boom rang out. The figure leaned against the doorway and folded its arms. You try to get a closer look, but its hood covered his face. Not a second later, you heard Toriel’s reply.

“Who’s there?”

“snow,” a deep and lazy voice answered, sending shivers down your spine.  

“Snow who?”

“snow use. i forgot my name again,”

Toriel’s laughed howled behind the door and she reciprocated her own jokes. This went on for hours and you were forced to crouch behind the bush to avoid being seen. Finally the figure leaves and you moved out of your hiding spot. Something is wrong. Something is very, terribly wrong. After being in that position for so long, your joints should be aching. The falling snow should’ve left you shivering, especially in your tattered hospital gown. You didn’t dare look behind you. You ran toward the doorway, screaming for Toriel over and over, too afraid to touch the door. Too afraid to find out the truth. Tears stream down your face as you fall to the ground in defeat. Your breath shakes and you slowly turn your head to look behind you, your heart beating loudly in your head. If you could pinpoint the exact time where you’ve sunk into your despair, this would be the exact moment. Your heart stopped beating, no that’s wrong, it was never beating in the first place.  One. Only one track of footsteps. Time stopped, the snow suspended in mid-air, the wind stopped whistling, you’re all alone.

NO! NO! NO! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING! You turned around and banged on the door again, but this time in your panic, you applied too much force and fell right through, landing on the dirt ground on the other side of the door. You got up, frantically running your hands throughout your body. You **feel** whole...then why? You sprint through the familiar hallway, calling for Toriel again, but you were only met with silence. You finally found her in the living room, sitting on a large chair and reading a book on snails.

“Toriel!”  you called to her, but she doesn’t look up from her book.

You continued to scream her name, begging her notice you. Everything you try to kick, punch, to hit, you just go right through. Why? Why did this happen? You did everything you could! You gave it your best to escape that awful dark place and it still wasn’t enough? All you ever wanted to do was fix your mistakes and save your sister. Why does the world fucking hate you?! What did you ever do wrong?! You’re so alone. Not even the voices whisper to you anymore.

You collapsed onto the rug, sobbing in your agony and self pity. Your whole body shook as Toriel continued to read her book, never noticing your breakdown. You stood up and drew a shaky breath, feeling nothing but your raw emotions. You couldn’t stay here. It hurt too much. So you continued forward, back out of the Ruins and onto that snowy desolate path. You follow it this time around, careful not to stray as you did last. You easily navigated through the puzzles and traps, since you all you had to do was walk through them anyway, but some do try to solve mentally just for the fun of it. The Xs and Os puzzles stumped you a few times. After wandering around, you reached a quaint town called “Snowdin” decorated with Christmas lights and decorations. Hehe, that’s clever. You walked around town, a sense of nostalgia washed over you as the cheery but somber mood hung in the atmosphere. Everyone looked so peaceful, greeting each other with kindness and familiarity. Why wasn’t the same done to you?  You continued strolling, mouth watering at the cinnabuns, but you couldn’t pick them up no matter how hard you try.  Not wanting to torture yourself, you moved along, cringing at the misspelling of library. You wonder if Gaster ever threw a fit about that. None of the monsters noticed you like you’d hoped, bitter disappointment settled in you. You sighed and explored the town some more, a large wooden house with two mailboxes caught your eye. It reminded you of a doll house, cute and homey. For some reason, you were drawn to it. Would it be an invasion of privacy if you stepped inside? Probably. You turned to leave, but the front door slams open, revealing a tall skeleton holding a smaller skeleton in his arms, startling you.

“BROTHER! WE MUST RECALIBRATE OUR PUZZLES! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES BY TODAY?” the  taller skeleton yelled  in a high nasally voice.

“then you’d be there to capture them little bro,” the smaller skeleton said lazily.

Wait...that voice...that jacket...he’s the one from earlier! And he’s a skeleton...just like him...just like Gaster. Pure hatred rose within you, the two skeleton flickered into Gaster like a glitch. He’s watching you. Mocking you. Laughing at you. You can’t escape him. You will **never** escape him! A familiar hiss of energy crackled around your palms, your eyes blazing with fury. Without thinking, you throw the energy at the two skeletons, expecting them to fall at your mercy, but your magic just goes right through them and dissipates in thin air. You flinched in surprise and looked at your hands. So, you still have your magic? You are both relieved and disgusted. You vowed that you would never use your magic again. All those innocent lives...those innocent memories, you feel perverted to use them.

The smaller skeleton made some kind of pun causing his brother to stomp away in a huff of frustration. You were alone with the comedian and took a closer look at him. He is definitely a skeleton, but he looked nothing like Gaster. While the scientist was tall and professional, this skeleton was short and lacked the charm and grace Gaster had. This must be the older son he talked so proudly about. He didn’t look much, except maybe poor sense. Pink house slippers in the snow? You cringed at the thought of having to wear those. Gaster did say that his son was helping him with the machine, does he know about you? Why didn’t he help you? He’s just as bad as Gaster.

“Dirty fucking skeleton. I hope you go to hell,” you growled.

As if he heard you, the older skeleton turned to you and looked straight into your eyes, his expression full of confusion. You jumped back and looked behind you to see if there was anyone there. Empty. Does that mean he could see you?

“Uhm...hello?” you call out to the monster.

The skeleton continued to stare in confusion, not responding. A twinge of hope blossomed in you. Maybe this skeleton could help you? You reach out to him, hoping, begging, him to notice you. But as soon as that hope appeared, the short skeleton turned away as if nothing happened. You stomp the snow in anger and frustration.

“You fucking asshole! Is this some kind of joke? You noticed something didn’t you?!” you screamed as the skeleton returned to his house.

Screw politeness, you were a ghost. Who’s gonna stop you? Toriel? You storm inside the skeleton’s home, unaffected by the coziness, and found the skeleton in his room. Crusted socks littered the floor, a self sustaining trash tornado swirled in the corner, and a ball of sticky blankets curled up on an unsheeted bed. It smelled like a boy’s locker room in here. You wiggle your nose in disgust. The small skeleton was already spread over his bed, napping the day away. Uhm. Okay. You sighed. There wasn’t any point in yelling at someone who’s sleeping. He probably didn’t really see you. Something must’ve caught his eye and you misinterpret it because of your blind hope. Still...he’s Gaster’s son. Something in your guts told you that he is important. You left the messy room and made your way to the living room, deciding to rest for the day. Sprawling on the couch, you wonder why you weren’t going through it like you do with doors and anything else you touched. Oh well. Ghost logic.  You took a moment to reflect what had become of your life. Never would you had thought that you’d fall into a hole inhabited by monsters, get captured, become a human experiment, die, turn into a ghost with magical powers, and crash on the couch of your enemy’s skeletal sons. It’s almost like your life is a badly written fanfiction or something. You rubbed your temples, regretting every life decision you’ve ever made, but stopped. There was no point in dwelling on the past. The only thing you could do is continue forward.

You spent your time in the Underground spectating the skeleton’s lives, but eventually moved on since you could barely stand the sight of them without being reminded of Gaster. You drifted to Waterfall and Hotland, though you found Waterfall to be your favorite. Even if you couldn’t feel the clear water against your skin, or how the echo flowers couldn’t hear you, the quiet serenity of the marsh always calmed you when you lashed out or broke down. The music from the sad statue never failed to make your heart ache. In a way, you were like that statue. Alone, forgotten, never being able to feel anything. One day, you found a gold flower staring at it in confusion, like it was trying to remember something but couldn’t. You decided not to approach it.

You tended to avoid Hotland when you could. The constant whirls of machines, the bustling activity, and the giant lab  usually sent you into panic attacks, reducing you into nothing but a shuddering and hiccupping mess. You don’t know how long you’ve been here, stuck like this. You don’t sleep and you spent most of your time in a secluded area in Waterfall, which you called home. You’ve gotten to the point where you were wrecked with boredom and an itch in your core. You’ve done everything you could to touch something, to feel something brush against your skin. You were so numb to physical stimulation, you were actually starting to miss Gaster slicing you open. You even gone as far as jumping off the cliff of Hotland and into the lava. Yet, you still felt nothing, except annoyance at the climb back up.

You couldn’t take it anymore, so with tears rolling down your cheeks and guilt filling your soul, you summoned your magic, electricity dancing on your fingers, tickling your skin. You moaned in relief as you allowed to the energy to slither around your body. It had been so long...to feel something again… you didn’t want to let it go. It was for the best though right? Those monsters died for you to have this power, even when neither party wanted it. Those deaths would become meaningless if you didn’t use your powers, right? You couldn’t change the past, so might as well put them to good use. The only problem was that you didn’t have that tremendous amount of power as you did back then in the Hidden Labs. In fact, summoning your magic was harder than you thought which frustrated the hell out of you. When you hadn’t had any physical feeling for so long, any kind of stimulation is like an addiction, you kept wanting more. Soon, that little electric tingle wasn’t good enough for you anymore. Through shear sweat and many emotional breakdowns, you were able to summon a ball of energy on your own though it left you emotionally exhausted afterwards. With some more practice, you found out that you could manipulate the energy into any form you want and even solidify it, but that gave you too many unpleasant memories so you don’t try to do it often. Collapsed in your own self hatred and despair, you curl up in the waters of Waterfall, dry as sand, but it still made the pain more bearable.

Feeling bored out of your mind, you decided to visit the skeleton brothers; maybe you could hear some more of Sans’s funny jokes. You arrive at their house in Snowdin and let yourself in, finding no one home. Huh, they must be at their sentry posts then. Suddenly, you hear a loud crash outside and you immediately follow the sound, finding a door behind the brother’s house. You walk through the metal door and your breath stopped, your magic bursting near you like fireworks. Your soul flares out, power waiting on standby. H-How is this possible? It shouldn’t be here! The machine stood silently in the corner, mocking you, looking almost triumphant. You get closer to it, your scars burning in a phantom pain. On the other side of the lab stood Sans, muttering in WingDings in a white lab coat, sending you over into another wave of hysteria.

Oh god. Why?! Why?!  Why did you have to do that to me?! Don’t hurt me! Please! Stop! Stop!

You were transported back into the dentist chair, Gaster cutting you open, guts hanging out like spaghetti, blood pooling out of your mouth. He reached for a saw-like tool and began to cut through your ribs, you’re snapped back into reality.

You were gasping for air, for anything to hold onto and found the distant hum of your magic swirl dangerously around you. You have to get out of here. Right now. You turn to leave like scurried animal when something caught your eye. A picture with three skeletons poorly drawn, with a message ‘don’t forget’ written in messy handwriting.

“Sans… you remember him, don’t you? How?” you whisper, not expecting him to answer, “If you remember him, could you hear me? Please hear me…”

Your voice trembled in desperation and loneliness. Sans turned toward you as he did the first time you met, and with confusion and alarm written all over his face. You blinked in astonishment, calling out to him again, but he didn’t hear you. The skeleton just shrugged and returned to his work. This was big… this was progress! He really did feel something! If you continued to work with him, to try to communicate with him, maybe one day, he could see you! This thought filled you with determination.

After the incident, you permanently move in with the skeleton brothers, crashing on their couch and giving them privacy when you could. You really warmed up to Papyrus; his innocence and naivete pulled your heartstrings. You could understand why Sans is so protective. You continue to try to communicate with Sans and even Papyrus, but he didn’t have the same senses as his brother.

On a particularly slow day, you followed Sans to his sentry post at the edge of the forest. You were tired of trying to get through to him that day so you sat on the snow and played with your magic. You shifted the energy into a shape of a bunny and made it hop around for your amusement. Suddenly, a booming clicking sound and a slow creak thundered around the forest. Both of yours and the skeleton’s heads snapped to a small human in a purple and blue stripped shirt emerging from the Ruins exit.

* * *

 

“W-Wait...so you’re saying that there are more than one realities all happening at the same time?” Alphys scratches her head, trying to process the new information.

You nod, “Think of it like walls. The first wall is the reality in which we are in right now, the second wall is the Specter Reality which serves as a bridge between the first and the third reality. I sometimes call it the ghost dimension. The third wall is the Void, an all encompassing reality filled with endless possibilities and mysteries.   That’s where Gaster was sent to. The fourth wall...well let’s not break that,”

“So, what i-is the Void?” Alphys asks, pulling her jacket closer to her.

“No clue, to be honest. It’s a place to be forgotten, that’s what I know. I was sent there when I died, but through Determination I was able to put my soul together and cross the threshold to the second reality,” you glance over at the shivering reptile and smack your head, “Ah geez, I’m such an idiot. You’re cold blooded right? Let’s go warm up at the skelebro’s house. I think they have hot chocolate,”

You help your friend up, wrapping your scarf around her neck and lead her to the skeletons’ old home. You wiggle at the door knob only to discover that it’s locked. Looking around to make sure no one else is around, your wrap your golden energy around the mechanics of the lock and open it. Alphys raises her brow at you.

“Neat trick, huh?” you smile brightly and invite her inside.

Unlike the cheery atmosphere you were use to, since coming to the surface, the brothers’ house remained dark, empty, and cold from the lack of life. Since the Underground is basically deserted, except for the few monsters who visit often to maintain the Core, there isn’t anyone to power the electricity in the brothers’ house. Alphys found some matches and lights the fireplace while you prepare two cups of hot chocolate. The microwave didn’t have any power to work so you heat the cups by vibrating the molecules inside the liquid, concentrating hard so you don’t have a repeat of last time when you nearly burned down your kitchen. You hand Alphys her cup  and the two of you watch the dancing embers, drawing you in, as images of your death flash through your mind. You could almost feel the flames licking your skin, searing away your flesh, as you desperately clung to your soul.

“___, are you okay?” Alphys shakes you and you blink, returning to the present.

“Huh? Where-,” you glance side to side, tensions leaving you when you realize that you are safe, “Oh, sorry. Sometimes I forget that I’m here and I get stuck in my memories...They don’t happen often, but it’s been occurring more since we got here,”

“W-What did you, uhm, see? If you don’t mind me asking,” the dinosaur pushes up her glasses.

“My death. I was burning,” you set your cup on the floor to protect them from your trembling hands.

“Oh, you uhm...it’s called Overheat,”

“Overheat?”

“It’s a phenomenon which occurs when a monster is under severe amounts of stress and loses control over their powers, burning them up.  It’s exclusive to monsters whose powers are directly linked to their emotions,” Alphys explains then adds, “It’s like what you humans call spontaneous combustion,”

“Heh...heh...let’s talk about something else…” a shiver of electricity curls around your fingers, “Actually we should head back. I don’t want Undyne to kill me for keeping you out so late.”

You and Alphys leave the Underground, taking the bus back this time to ease your tiring legs. Ugh, why the hell didn’t you wear waterproof shoes? By the time you arrive at the couple's’ house, it was already dark, the porch lights on while Undyne waited inside.

“Alphys! You guys were gone for hours! Where did you go?” the fish monster leans into her girlfriend, kissing her gently.

“We took a trip to the Underground. I wanted to visit Snowdin,” you say, giving the lovebirds some space.

Undyne takes a step towards you, towering over you threatenly, “You’ve been to the Underground before?”

Alphys gives you a panicked look, but you just shrugged, “Sans took me there to see Waterfall once.”

“What did you guys talk about?” Undyne’s teeth looks extra sharp today and you shrink back.

“Look, Undyne, I’m really sorry for hurting Alphys. We talked it out and we’re good now, right Alph?” you ignore Undyne’s question, looking at Alphys for help.

“Y-Yeah! She’s okay,” the dinosaur steps in between you and her girlfriend.

Undyne stares at you hard for a moment before cracking a huge smile and swinging her arm around your neck, giving you a noogie.

“Haha, I guess we can be friends again!” Undyne leans in and mutters softly so only you could hear, “Hurt my girl again and I’ll stick a spear in you,”

You gulp and nod furiously.

“Good. I’m glad we could come to an understanding. Now let’s get this sleepover started!” Undyne flexes her biceps.

“Actually, I have work in the morning. I need to get home. Next time okay?” you smile nervously, afraid that you’ve somehow offended them.

Undyne looks disappointed, but understands anyway. Alphys offers you a ride home which you gratefully accept and within ten minutes, you are standing in front of your front door, keys jingling as you push the door open. You find Sans lounging on the green couch and when he sees you, his expression lightens up and he gives you a small wave. You set your bag and house keys on the counter, returning his hello.

“aren’t you suppose to be having a sleepover with undyne and alphys?” Sans scootches over so you have more room on the couch. The tv program is ignored.

“I have work tomorrow. Where’s Papy?” You rest your head on his clavicle.

“upstairs sleeping. i just read him his bedtime story,”

“You’re such a good brother,” you tease, poking him in the ribs.

“hope that’s not too brothersome for you,” Sans runs his fingers through your head and melt instantly under his touch.

“That one was pretty bad, bone boy,” you try to cover your smile, but failed.

“come on, my puns are sansational,” Sans winks at you and your soul is filled with a sudden warmth.

“Shut up,” you playfully punch his arm and he laughs, deep and smooth, causing you to feel something twist inside you.

Soon, Sans falls asleep on your lap. It was getting late and you knew you had to go to bed soon, but seeing how comfortable and peaceful the sleeping skeleton looked, you didn’t have the heart to move. You trail your fingers over his clavicle vertebrae then over to his shoulder bones, earning you a pleased moan from him. You blush at this, covering your mouth to prevent yourself from making a strangled noise, but seeing how much Sans enjoyed it, you don’t stop until you notice a glowing blue bulge in Sans’s shorts. You stop immediately, realizing what you were doing. D-Did you just accidently feel up your best friend?! Your face grows hotter and your heart beats faster as you feel something funny in between your legs. You try to calm yourself down, not wanting to wake up the sleeping skeleton. After a few minutes of quiet deep breaths and keeping your hands to yourself, the blue glow fades away and you calm down. Feeling your eyelids go heavy, you allow them to close, drifting off to a world of blueberries and magic bones.

You feel your lap burning and your eyes instantly shot open, thinking you were back on the cool tile floor of the Hidden Labs, burning to death. You scramble off your seat, trying to get a grip of where you are. Wood floors. Green couch. Tomatoes. You’re at home. You look down at yourself and didn’t find any traces of your magic, so what was that? You take a glance at the couch, remembering the sleeping skeleton. Despite your sudden movements, Sans is still sleeping, though his body is engulfed in his blue magic, the objects around him levitating. He mumbles Papyrus’s name repeatedly, sweat forming at his distress.

“Sans!” you shake the skeleton, your heart clenching in sorrow of what he must be dreaming of. No doubt it's a genocide route.

Sans’s eye sockets fly open at your touch, his right eye glowing blue and yellow. It took you a second to process his skeletal hands wrapped around your neck, squeezing the breath out of you, your body being held down by blue magic on the ground. You choke out his name, willing him to wake up and come back to you. His grip around your neck goes tighter and you struggle against his hold. Sans summons a bone attack and aims it directly at your face. The skeleton’s image flickers to Gaster, and you attempt to scream, your magic rising in you, prepared to attack. No! This isn’t Gaster! This is Sans! You don’t want to hurt him! Your magic complies, but it still buzzed angrily, making it difficult to suppress it.

“kids like you... **s h o u l d b e b u r n i n g i n h e l l** ,”

In one last act, you manage to loosen Sans’s grip on your neck and you pour all your desperation in your screams, “PAPYRUS!”

Hearing his brother’s name made Sans falter slightly, giving Papyrus time to rush out of his room and take in the scene before him. He immediately tackles Sans, allowing you to finally breathe and scramble to your feet. Being in Papyrus’s embrace wakes up Sans from his night terror, his white pinpricks going wide as he sees the purple imprint of his hands around your neck.

“shit. i’m sorr- i’m so sorry,” and with that, he is gone.

“Sans wait!” you call after him uselessly.

You heave a heavy sigh and run your hands through your hair, sadness overflowing in you.

“Human, what happened?” Papyrus steps closer to inspect your neck.

“He was having a nightmare and I tried to wake up. That’s when he attacked me. It wasn’t his fault though,” you rub your hands on your neck, flinching at the bruises.

“Sans always had nightmares, but since the trip to the amusement park, he doesn’t have him as often. I had hoped they’ve gone away…” Papyrus sighs with you.

“Nightmares never go away, Papy,” you say darkly, “Do you know when he’ll be back?”

“I do not know. Perhaps you should go to sleep now, human. You shouldn’t stay up too late. You can talk to brother when he gets back,”

You shake your head, “I don’t care about sleeping. I’m going to wait for him.”

Sensing your stubbornness, Papyrus leaves you be, pressing his teeth against your head before returning to his room.

The clock reads 2AM so you plop down on the couch and wait.


	13. Ugly Christmas Sweaters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas time! (Even though it's June right now oops)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter in which the author tries to art, but fails epically. 
> 
> I meant to get this done sooner, but then I started to get sick ugh. Why me! And I seriously have to stop staying up all night to update a chapter. Haha it's 5 am where I am and I could see the light outside. But oh wells. I have to admit it's kinda thrilling. That says a lot about my life... Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this update!
> 
> If the picture doesn't show up for some reason, here the [ link ](http://maplemesyrup.tumblr.com/image/146009194896) to it
> 
> Want status updates? Come vist [ my tumblr! ](http://Maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

Your vision is fading in and out, the sweet siren of sleep singing to you. You fiddle with your thumbs in attempt to keep your body stimulated, but the softness of the couch pulls you in, like being embraced by a marshmellow. No! Stop! You slap yourself in attempt to wake yourself up, impatiently reading the clock. You sigh in frustration. It’s already 5 AM, when will he be back? There’s no point in sleeping now, so you drag yourself into the kitchen and brewed yourself a cup of coffee, taking a seat at the table while you wait. Finally, you pour the dark liquid into a mug and add you usual abundance of creamer and sugar. The caffeine isn’t working fast enough. Your eyelids betray you as you lower your head onto the table, but you immediately jump when a cyan light fills the room.

* * *

 

Sans teleports himself into the living room, hoping to snag a bottle of ketchup before crawling back to his room. He really messed up didn’t he? Now, you’re going to be afraid of him and leave him and Papyrus. God, why did he have to screw up one of the few good things in his life? You had to be disgusted with him. Hell, he was disgusted with himself.

“Sans?” your sweet, melodic voice calls him from the table and he turns around, your tired eyes bore on to him.

Shit. Shit. What are you doing still up? Were you waiting for him? Did you want to personally tell him that you hated him? How he put you in danger? Did you want to tell him that you are leaving and moving as far away from him and his brother as possible? Sans couldn’t handle this right now. He prepares to teleport again, but you anticipate this, and rush to his side, spilling your coffee and wrapping your arms around his skeletal body. Sans was caught so off guard, he pauses, unsure what to do.

“Please don’t leave again,” you beg, “I’m not mad at you, we just need to talk,”

You intertwine your soft fingers into his and Sans allowed you to pull him to the couch, your hands still locked together, probably to prevent him from escaping again. Sans couldn’t face you. Instead, he focuses on the details of your hands. From the small white scars circling your fingers to the grooves tracing your knuckles, he memorized it all. What would he find in your eyes? Hatred? Disappointment? Fear? The gnashing guilt gnawed at his core, telling him to run before he hurts you again. You must have been sensing his feelings since you held his chin and forced him to look at you, the only thing in your eyes is determination… no stubbornness.  You rub his palm with your thumb.

“I’m not mad at you, Sans. It wasn’t your fault,”  you say as if you are reading his thoughts.

“of course it is, i nearly killed you,” Sans looks away again, but you pull him right back.

“But you didn’t,” you smile and giggle a bit, “It was an accident.”

“i would never intentionally hurt you,” your smile falters for a second, but picks right back up, though it didn’t quite reach your eyes like before, “___, are you afraid of me?”

You’re the one who looked away this time, loosening your intertwined hands and Sans pretends he couldn’t feel his heart break a little bit.

“Tibia honest, I was a little scared back there,” you laugh nervously, “But please don’t distance yourself away from me because of what happened last night.”

“___, i almost killed you. do you not understand the severity of that?” Sans growled, pulling away from you.

“I get it, Sans. But please don’t beat yourself over it too much,”  Sans could see you struggling to keep your calm composure.

“these nightmares aren’t just going to go away. i could hurt you again,”

“I understand, I really do. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of bad dreams, awake or asleep,” you say with such sincerity, Sans believes you, “I won’t force you, but I suggest that you talk to someone. Whether it’s Papyrus, me, or even Frisk, it’ll help. I just learned that recently.”

Sans stays silent, taking in your words. He doesn’t understand why you are being so kind, so forgiving, when you could’ve been dead by now if Papyrus wasn’t home. In a way, you remind him of Frisk, but the heavy air that follows you, the way your eyes harden when you are lost in thought, the quiet pain you keep inside you, just shows that you are definitely not.

“the world is going to chew you up and spit you out,” Sans thinks out loud.

“It already has,” you whisper quietly. That is his answer.

“what do you want from me, ___?” Sans stares you, waiting for an answer.

You don’t reply. Instead, you gently push him back, til his head is resting on the arm rest. You carefully crawl on the skeleton, turning his cheeks blue, sweat forming at the back of his skull. He tries to look anywhere but your chest.

“k-kid,what are you doing?”

You bury your head in the crook of his neck and intertwine your fingers once more, a pleased moan escaping your lips. Sans freezes, again, unaware of your intentions. You nuzzle closer and Sans rubs your back with his free arm.

“Don’t let what happen tonight change this,” you murmur.

The skeleton doesn’t know what to say. Hours ago, he almost killed you, yet instead of running away or cursing him, you are here in his arms, purring like a kitten. You really are something else.

“you know, when paps was younger, he refused to have his own room. when he was forced to, he’d crawl into my bed every night,” Sans blurted, unsure why he told you.

“That’s adorable,” you giggle.

“i guess he was feeling bonely back then,” Sans smirks and you laugh quietly.

“My sister was the master at hide and seek,” you smile and the memory, “She liked to hide in the laundry basket. Once, I couldn’t find her for an hour and I almost lost my damn mind.”

You and Sans continue to trade stories of your siblings, neither human nor monster noticing the time passing. Every time you laughed, a melody so enriching like the flowing streams in Waterfall or the twinkling of crystals buried within the cave, Sans felt his soul call out for yours, in a longing pull that almost hurt. Soon the clock ticked away and you stand up, ruffle your hair, and make your way into the kitchen, avoiding your coffee mess.

“I’m sorry, I’m starting work in an hour. I have to get ready,” you shuffle through the cabinet, the glasses clinking against each other, “Are you or Papyrus stealing my coffee mugs?”

“are you saying that you’ve been mugged?” Sans jokes a he follows you, holding out a Red Bull from the fridge which you pour into the brewing coffee.

“It’s too early for this, bone boy,” you don’t bother trying to hide your smile.

“you’re the one that wanted to stay up,”  Sans snickered.

“It was suppose to be a sweet gesture,” you hold the sugar and smirk, “Pass me my mug would you?”

“hehe, you’re working me to the bone here, sugar,” Sans winks and you roll your eyes.

Soon, you leave for work, wishing Sans a good day and to get some rest. He waves you out the door and is left alone with Papyrus’s loud snores. Not wanting to sleep alone, Sans marches up to Papyrus’s tidy room and quietly shuffles into his brother’s race car bed. The younger skeleton lets out a soft ‘Nyeh’ and curls his arms around his already sleeping brother.

* * *

Two days has passed since Sans almost killed you and you and the skeleton are much closer than before. The two of you text constantly, well by text it’s mostly Sans telling you stupid jokes and you replying with dank memes, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s gotten to the point where you could barely focus on Sans’s gift. Toriel has helped you with most of the work, but you still have some trouble stitching it all together. You huff in frustration. You’re suppose to have this finished and wrapped by tonight’s Christmas party, but you’re starting to wonder if that’s going to happen. Because of your lack of attention, you accidently stab the needle through your thumb, drawing a droplet of blood. You curse out loud. After years of stitching yourself back together when Gaster couldn’t, you still haven’t mastered it. You use your magic to stuff your materials under the bed and walk into the kitchen to find yourself a band-aid.

“HUMAN! HAVE YOU SEEN MY SCARF? IT APPEARS TO HAVE GONE MISSING!” Papyrus walks in looking perplexed.

“I think Sans might have borrowed it,” you say, recalling the short skeleton going through the laundry.

Papyrus thanks you and stomps to his brother’s room. You hear a door slam and Papyrus shouting his brother’s name in distress  so you go and investigate. You stop dead in your tracks when you find Sans, topless dangling from the ceiling fan with the scarf wrapped around his waist. He gives you and his brother a lazy wave and a shit eating grin.

“SANS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Papyrus shouts.

“oh, you know just hanging around,”

Papyrus makes an animalistic squawk and murmurs in a low terrifying voice, “I am so done with your shit, Sans,”

The tall skeleton throws his hands in the air and walks out.

You fold your arms and lean on the doorway, “How long have you been up there, waiting to make that joke?”

“all day,” you laugh loudly and take a picture with your phone, “so could you uh, help me down?”

You contemplate this then shake your head, “Sorry bone boy. You got yourself up there, you could get yourself down. Merry Christmas,”

You wish the jokester good luck then return to finish making the gift for your stupid skeleton. You are able to finish the gift an hour before the party started, so you tie your hair in a loose braid and help your boys stuff the wrapped gifts in Papy’s red convertible.

“You guys ready to go?” you ask, slamming the trunk down.

“NOT YET! YOU TWO COME WITH ME!” Papyrus drags you and Sans into the living room and dig out two neatly wrapped gifts.

“Paps, what is this?” Sans asks, shaking the box.

“OPEN IT!” Papyrus eagerly commands.

You and Sans tear of the wrapping paper and you gasp, seeing a blue sweater inside. You pull it out of the box, closely examining it.  It is an ugly Christmas sweater, with blue lollipops stitched across the top and bottom, facing opposite directions with the words ‘Sugar, we’re goin down’ smacked in the middle in yellow. The fabric felt soft under your fingers, like petting a fluffy sheep. You excitedly throw off your blouse, thankful that you wore a tank top underneath and pull the sweater over your head, the collar wrapping snugly around your neck.

“P...Papy...this is awesome! Thank you!” you hug the taller skeleton and he hugs you back.

“this is pretty great, bro,” Sans’s grin goes wider. He wore a brown sweater, similar to yours, except ‘Bonehead’ was stitched onto it with a femur design behind it.

“NYEH HEH HEH! OF COURSE THEY’RE AMAZING! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM THE MASTER OF GIFT GIVING AFTER ALL!” Papyrus shouts proudly.

You tiptoe and pull him down to your height, pecking him on the cheeks, turning him orange,”I-I THINK IT IS BEST IF YOU GET GOING! WE MUSTN'T KEEP THE QUEEN WAITING!”

“heh. it’s cute to see him blush like that,” Sans sucks on a ketchup packet he found in his pocket.

“Yes it is,” you giggle and kiss Sans on the cheeks as well, sticking your blueberry flavored addiction in your mouth.

You watch Sans turn blue then drag him to to the car where Papyrus is blasting music. Soon you arrive at the former queen’s home, the smell of baked goods surrounding you. Toriel welcomes you with open arms, wishing you a merry Christmas as you and the skeleton brothers carry the gifts inside the home. Sans uses his magic to carry his load and you roll your eyes. Lazybones. But then again, you’d probably do the same if you could. When all of you set the presents under the large Christmas tree, Papyrus rushes off with Frisk to play their new video game.

“It’s good to see you again, my child. How are your injuries?” Toriel asks while taking the cookies out of the oven.

“My injuries?”  you were confused for a second, then remember the incident at the beach a week ago, “Oh! I’m all better now, thank you for asking!”

Had that only been a week? It felt so long ago.

Soon after you and skelebros arrived, Undyne and Alphys pulled into the driveway barring gifts and a collection of Christmas themed movies. Dinner was absolutely amazing. You were reluctant, at first, to try Toriel’s snail pie, but by desert, you already had four slices, still willing to sneak in another piece. You help Toriel put away the dishes once everyone is finished while Frisk and the skeleton brothers play in the living room. Sans and Papyrus summon their bone attacks and have a mock sword fight with the small human, the display warming your heart. Not wanting to intrude on their fun, you return to the dinner table with Undyne and Alphys.

“Soooo have you two set a date for the big day?” you ask the couple who are staring into each other’s eyes lovingly.

“January 15th! Two weeks after New Years,” Undyne replies.

“There’ll be m-music and food and d-dancing! It’s going to be spectacular!” Alphys squeals.

“And the best part is, I finally get to marry you,” Undyne leans down and kisses her fiancée, the yellow dinosaur’s scales turning pink.

You silently gush at the cute before you.

“You two are so cute. I hope I could find someone like you two have found each other,” you sigh contently.

“Well, he just might be right around the corner,” Undyne winks while Alphys giggles.

“hey, we’re opening presents soon,” Sans pops in the kitchen suddenly, then returns to the living room with his brother.

“Just right around the corner,” Undyne repeats.

“Sans, really?” you laugh at the hilarity of the idea.

“Come on admit it, you liiiiiiike him,” Undyne teases.

“The odds of me and Sans getting together are as likely as Frisk falling in love with Papyrus. It’s not happening. Besides, it wouldn’t work anyway,”

“And why not?” the fish monster pouts.

You look over to Alphys, who gives you an understanding look, but that doesn’t stop her from being disappointed as well.

“We should head to living room. Everyone is waiting for us,” you smile, trying to hide the sudden burst of anxiety you feel.

You meet everyone in the living room, picking a spot in between the skeleton brothers. Frisk volunteered to be the one passing out the gifts and no one could say no their adorable enthusiasm. They chose a striped box addressed to Papyrus from Toriel, the skeleton eagerly tore the wrapping apart, his expression filled with a glow of happiness. He pulls a red scarf out of the box, similar to the one he already has, except this one has bone patterns and white dogs expertly embroidered onto them. Papyrus quickly removes his old scarf and wrapped his new one around his neck, smiling like five year old in a candy store. The trend continues, as Frisk hands out the gifts for everyone, not one smile leaving anyone’s faces.

Honestly you are a bit overwhelmed by the gifts, the love, the warmth. You’ve never had this before and you couldn’t believe how far you’ve come. This is all too foreign for you, unable to process these feelings, you quickly retreat back into your shell. You don’t understand how to react to all this and it scares you. Deciding you need some fresh air, you excuse yourself to the backyard where you allow your feelings to be released, causing you to tremble and hang onto the swing set for support. Your magic drums inside of you, but does nothing more. You sigh in relief. For once you don’t have to worry about trying so hard to keep it under control. Alphys follows you soon after, rubbing your back to help you calm down.

“H-Hey are you, uhm, okay?” Alphys takes a seat on the swing next to you, her large feet barely reaching the ground.

“Y-Yeah. I’m sorry. I’m okay. I’m just not...use to this?” you laugh nervously.

“I-It’s alright to be overwhelmed. I think we are on the same boat here,” Alphys admits.

“What? But you’ve known these guys for ages! You’ve been friends since before I could remember!” you say, shocked.

“Ehehe...it’s not that simple. After I released the Amalgamates, I was so sure that everyone will hate me. But instead, I received acceptance. Now, a year later, I am showered with love and appreciation, even marrying the girl I’ve been crushing on for years! It’s a bit...much.”

“Wow Alphys, I had no idea,” you look over to your friend who is smiling at the twinkling stars.

“My point is, you’re n-not going t-through this alone. You always have me to talk to and I know the others will support you no matter what,”

“Not on everything…” you hang your head and kick the dirt.

“___, you’ll never know if you don’t try,” Alphys says, recalling what you told her.

“I don’t want to find out yet,” you allow a yellow tendril to wrap around your hand.

Alphys notices this and leaps off her swing, offering her claw and smiling at you, “Come on. L-Let’s go back inside. Everyone is waiting for us. You could sit with me if you want. We’ve got each other’s backs right?”

You accept her claw and grin, feeling much better than before, “Right.”

Much to your relief, no one commented on yours or Alphys’s sudden absence, though Sans does give you a worried look. You brush his arm lightly as you walk past him to ease his troubles. Frisk continues to pass out gifts until the last one remains. Your gift to Sans. You fiddle with the hem of your sweater nervously as you watched Sans slowly unwrap your gift. His expression sparked with disbelief and excitement. He holds up the gift you made for him, a dark fluffy jacket with the constellations stitched and the galaxy painted onto it. It was far from perfect, the stitching doesn’t line up and the overall sewing work is messy, but despite that, Sans appears to think it’s the best thing in the whole world.

“____, did you make this?” Sans asks.

“Uh… y-yeah. Toriel helped me though,” you blush heavily.

“this is amazing! thank you,” Sans zips up the jacket over his sweater, admiring the design.

You feel a swell of pride within you as your face grows hotter from the praise.  It may have been horribly made, you can’t help but think how good it looks on him. After all the excitement is over, you help Toriel clean up the wrapping paper then relaxed on the couch with the skeletons, Frisk on your lap. You soothingly play with their hair, braiding it in different styles like you use to do with your sister. The memory buzzed the magic inside of you. Suddenly, Undyne stands up, clapping her hand once loudly.

“Alright punks! It’s time for Truth or Dare! Will you be joining us, Toriel?”

“Oh no my dear. I’m much too old for that. You kids have fun. I’ll be in my room if you need anything,” Toriel waves them good night.

“Who wants to go first?” Undyne asks.

“OH! PICK ME!” Papyrus raises his hand, practically jumping out of his seat.

“Okay, Paps. Truth or Dare?”

“I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL ACCEPT ANY CHALLENGE YOU THROW AT ME!”

“Dare it is then,” Undyne laughs then thinks for a moment, “I dare you drink all of Sans’s ketchup in one go,”

Papyrus’s face twists in disgust, but does it anyway. Everyone cheers his name as he downs the last drop.

“I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU LIKE THIS STUFF BROTHER!” Papyrus shouts.

“come on bro. it mustard been hard not relish the tomatoes,” everyone groans at the short skeleton.

You crack a smile.  Though the game is kept relatively safe because of Frisk’s presence, you learned that Sans spends hours reading joke books to come up with his puns sometimes and  Alphys secretly likes _School Days_ (really Alphys, really?). You watched as Frisk prank calls a friend from school and flirted with her until she gave them their number (she wasn’t the brightest friend) and Undyne eat a raw egg. After a couple rounds, you are up next, awaiting the doom.

“Truth or Dare, punk!” feeling adventurous, you pick dare, “FUHUHU, I’ve been waiting for this all night! I dare you to kiss Sans on the lips,”

Somehow you aren’t at all surprised by this.

“I don’t have lips,” Sans says nonchalantly.

“Oh… uh… how do skeletons kiss?” Undyne rubs her chin.

“like this,” Sans pulls your face close to his and gently presses his teeth against your lips, closing his eye sockets.

You freeze automatically, a war of emotions clash within you, unsure what to do. Shock. Happiness. Sadness. Longing. Embarrassment. Fear. All those feelings burst within you, fighting for control, you don’t know what to do.  The room goes completely silent as everyone’s mouth hang open in surprise. Sans finally releases you, his eye sockets going wide as he realized what he just did. Every instinct in your body is telling you to run, like a warning sign flashing in your head. This is completely uncharted territory for you. How are you supposed to react? Panic rises in you as the magic in your soul flares. What are you suppose to do? What are you suppose to do?! You know nothing about romantic experiences! Does this mean he likes you? Or is he just messing around? He is just teasing you right?! You don’t know how you feel about this. It’s all too new, too different. You can’t handle this! All these feelings, you can’t control them. And when you can’t control your emotions, you naturally can’t control your magic. You clench your fist in order to stop your magic from escaping.

“I’m sorry I need a moment,” you retreat  into the guest bedroom as quickly as possible before you could make a scene  and slam the door behind you.


	14. Say Yes to the Dress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are not looking good for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty short chapter, but has some heavy stuff. 
> 
> Haha all those episodes of Say Yes to the Dress really paid off! Again, your nice comments fills me with determination! Let me know what you think in the comments below 
> 
> Want updates and stuff? Check out my [ tumblr ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

You are sitting on a stool with energetic child on your lap inside a bustling bridal store, every woman shopping for that perfect dress. Undyne walks out of her changing room, modeling a strapless mermaid style dress with silk ruffles flaring out and lacy sequencing at the neckline. The bride to be stands in front of the mirror, trying out different poses. 

“How do you feel in that one?” you ask your friend. 

“I don’t know. It’s too tight around me. How am I supposed to move?” Undyne frowns. 

“In my opinion, it’s not your style. It’s too restraining for you. Ironically, I don’t think mermaid suits you,” you advised. 

Undyne sighs and returns to her dressing room. 

“Ok, Alphys. Your turn,” Frisk calls. 

The yellow monster nervously steps out of her dressing room, eyes darting in every direction. Yours and Frisk’s jaws both drops at how beautiful Alphys is. The dress suited her perfectly in every way; from the Queen Anne neckline to the simple and clean ball gown skirt, fitted with a gold ribbon, unifying the top and the skirt. She is absolutely breathtaking. 

“S-So how do I look?” Alphys asks, apprehensive from the lack of response. 

“Woah you look-”

“LIKE A MILLION BUCKS!” Frisk interrupts, excitedly jumping off of you and prancing around the blushing monster. 

“No, seriously, Alphys. I think this might be the one,” your soul twitches with envy, “Forget the other dresses, this is perfect for you.”

“I wanna see!” Undyne’s loud voice booms behind the curtain. 

“Sorry Undyne. It’s bad luck to see the dress before the wedding,” Frisk giggles as the fish monster groans behind the curtains. 

“I-Is it really that good?” Alphys asks, unsure. 

“It looks great on you,” you smile, “But remember, it’s your opinion that really matters. If you don’t like it, you could always try on some more,” 

Alphys looks into the mirror, feeling her curves as her grin goes wider. Her brown eyes twinkled behind her glasses like the shine of a mirror in the sunlight. Every trace of self doubt leaves her expression, her body language becoming more confident as a warm glow rolls off her presence.

“I love it. I want this one,” the yellow monster squealed. 

“She said yes to the dress!” Frisk barely gave Alphys any time to change into her normal clothes before dragging her to the cash register.

Alphys tells you meet up with her and Frisk at the children’s clothing store to pick out a flowerchild outfit for them when Undyne is finished. You nod your head and wave goodbye to your friends. Realization struck you as you are left alone with Undyne. You don’t have a problem with her; you still consider her your friend, but you never really got the chance to bond with her as you did with the others. Without Alphys or Frisk here as a buffer, you grow uneasy with the awkwardness. You play it cool, hoping that it’s all in your head and that she doesn’t feel the same way. 

“This one. This is the one.” Undyne swings the curtain away, showing off a gorgeous A-line cream colored dress with an off-shoulder neckline and natural and flowy waistline. 

“Woah you look perfect, Undyne! It suits you!” you smile, trying to hide you awkwardness, “I bet it’ll look great with some curls!” 

“You think so?! This is going to be the best wedding ever!” Undyne put her normal clothes back on and rushes to the cashier to pay. 

The entire time, the fish monster springs in excitement as the two of you find the children’s store in the large mall. Suddenly, Undyne loses the bounce in her steps and takes this opportunity to ask you about what you’ve been avoiding. 

“So how are you and Sans?” Undyne asks. 

Your steps falter for a second and you have to jog back up to keep up with her, “We’re fine,”

The fish monster stops and gives you an ‘are you kidding me?’ look, “You and Sans are not fine. I was suffocating from the tension you and Sans had when we picked you up.”

“I know you mean well, but I really rather not talk about this,” you continue to walk ahead, but Undyne grabs you by the arm and yanks you back, pulling you into the corner so nobody bumps into you. 

“No, as your friend, I’m not letting you do this. I’m not letting you run from your problems,” Undyne scowls. 

“I’m not running away, I just don’t want to talk about it,” you scowl right back. 

“You know, you never struck me as a liar,” 

“Excuse me?” you pull your arm away aggressively and clench your jaw. 

“You are lying to yourself and to Sans. That excuse he came up at the party? We both know that’s bullshit,”

She’s right though. After the kiss, you freaked out and hid in the guest bedroom for an hour, hyperventilating and your magic going haywire. You managed to only break the lightbulb, which you quickly cleaned up and disposed of the glass by throwing it out the window. Lucky for you, there was a replacement bulb in the dresser. Finally you were  brave enough to  leave your sanctuary and you apologized for your erratic behavior. You blamed it on shock and embarrassment since it was your first kiss after all and you weren’t prepared. Both you and Sans agreed that the kiss was completely platonic . Still… after that, you and Sans lost the easy-going friendship you once had. You subtly avoid each other and only talk when it was necessary. You kinda miss his jokes and stupid puns, but you don’t know what to do. It’s not like you were upset with each other or anything, but everything had changed  between the two of you and it’s killing you. 

“I am a lot of things, but I am  **not** a liar,” you snarl at the fish monster, challenging her. 

“Oh please. Do you expect me to believe that what you have is platonic? You know I’m right!” Undyne took the bait. 

“Why do you care? You’ve known me for what? A month? And you tried to kill me that one time!”

“I care because I’m your friend!” Undyne shouts, ignoring the stares. 

“If you really cared, then you would stay out of my love life!” you magic sparks within you, “From day one, all you’ve done is meddle and if you weren’t so determined on getting us together, Sans and I would be fine right now, and not have this poisonous drift between us!”

You hate this. You hate how your lips are trembling and your eyes are burning from the tears threatening to spill out. You hate how she is right. But most importantly, you hate how you would never, ever admit it. 

“You’re a coward. If you don’t learn to face your problems head on, you will get hurt,” Undyne shakes her head in disappointment and walks away, leaving you alone to deal with your self loathing. 

* * *

 

After picking yourself up and getting your shit back together, you follow Undyne into a cute children’s store where Alphys is helping Frisk with a red tie. Heh. Red. Determination, of course. For the sake of your friends, you push aside all of you anger and hatred away and don a fake smile. But after seeing Frisk in a pure white suit with gold buttons and a red tie, your smile turns genuine as they twirl around, their short hair falling behind their ears. 

You feel a tug at your shirt, “Aunt ___, could you braid my hair for the wedding?” 

Your cheeks flush red upon hearing the word ‘Aunt’  and your heart just melts, taking all your troubles away, “Of course, Frisky. Want me to do it right now so you could see what it’ll look like with your outfit?” 

Frisk excitedly nods and you get to work. Weaving through their silky (and sweaty) brown hair, you pull and twist the strands to create a waterfall style braid. While you are doing this, the couple canoodled behind the sales rack. 

“Are you okay?” Frisk ask. The kid is more perceptive than you give them credit for.  

“I will be,” you kiss the top of their head. 

The child looks troubled and opens their mouth like they want to say something, but changed their mind. You finish with their hair and Frisk turns around and stares at you as if they are looking for something. You subconsciously cover your heart, where your soul rests. 

“F-Frisk?”

The kid tilts their head and furrows their brow. They blink and shrug, reverting back to their usual self and find the monster couple to show of their new hair. What… what was that?

“Did you see those two monsters walk in?” you hear a woman’s voice whisper from the aisle beside yours. 

“Yeah. Absolutely disgusting. Did you see that fat and sweaty one? Who would love a thing like that?” a man’s voice whispers back. 

“What are they doing in a children’s store? I bet they’re waiting to kidnap a child and use them for their own sick purpose,” the woman says harshly. 

“Whatever. Just let the Righteous deal with them,” the man and woman walk out of the store without buying anything. 

Even if you’re mad at one of them and awkward around the other, no one insults your monster friends like that. Ever. The two racists leave the store and you follow them, shooting Alphys a text saying you’ll be right back.  The couple exits the mall and the man pulls his keys out of his pocket, pressing the unlock button. You locate the car by the flashing lights and look back at the couple. Good. They’re still a few feet away.  You duck behind the handicapped cars  and summon a magic tentacle, hidden from sight. It takes all your concentration to solidify the sharp tentacle and the penetrate through the thick tire, leaving a large enough gap to stick your hand through. You do this four times and almost pass out from exhaustion. Hearing the loud wheeze of air blowing out of the dying tires, fills you with satisfaction. You quickly move from your spot and return to your friends who are already paying at the cash register. Hehe. Justice is served.   


	15. Handcuffs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans goes grocery shopping with Papyrus (HOW EXCITING)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty short, mostly filler chapter. I wanted to go a bit into Sans's thoughts before I move on in the plot. This took pretty long to write mostly because I'm trying to overcome writer's block. The plot will continue next chapter, I promise! Though, I want to warn you that it will be another long one therefore, will take some time to write. I'm also starting work tomorrow so I have even less time to focus on this fic. But we are near the end of the first arc! I estimate about 5 more chapters and I already have some ideas for arc 2. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
> 
>  
> 
> [ you know the drill ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

Sans is sprawled over his messy bed, shorts on the floor, blinds closed and door locked. The usual set up. The skeleton holds his limp dick in his palm, absent-mindedly stroking it, but lacking the usual zeal. After several attempts to get his dick hard, he is still left with a glowing blue ecto flesh in his hand. Sans sighs and gives up, willing the magic dick to go away. God, he messed up so badly at that party, his guilt is preventing him from jerking off properly.  Kissing you was so fucking stupid; he knew that. He knew exactly what he was doing yet he still… How could he regret something that felt so right? The softness of your lips against his teeth, your constant scent of blueberries, and how, even if it was for just a second, you kissed back. No, he doesn’t regret kissing you. But he does regret hurting you, making you push him away. The skeleton allowed his rash feelings for you take over, and ruin everything Sans had with you.

When Sans pulled away from the kiss, he was not expecting to see pain in your eyes. Anger, shock, or embarrassment, maybe. But not the anguish he knows so well. The type of dark pain, resulting from a secret you cannot express, even though it’s killing you. Had he done that? Did he trigger a memory? You don’t talk a lot about your past, and Sans doesn’t talk a lot about his. There’s a mutual respect in that boundary, but Sans wished he knew more to avoid situations like these. So, he took it upon himself to avoid you altogether, although it turns out, that wasn’t necessary. Every time Sans walks in a room, you would leave. You take most of your dinners in your room and stopped visiting him at his hot dog stand.  

Ever since that night, his days have become more… dull. He still continued with his everyday activities and appreciated every second he is on the surface: admiring the stars, breathing the fresh air, living with his brother, but it didn’t have that spark or energy it once had. Sans is slowly reverting back to the time he before he met you, greeting each day with the anticipation of a reset.

A part of him resents you for this. Sans just couldn’t figure you out and it frustrates the hell out of him. You are like an impossible jigsaw puzzle in which Sans doesn’t know the picture and half of the pieces are missing. You begged him not to push you away after he almost **killed** you, yet you’re avoiding him because he kissed you? You really don’t have your priorities in order.

“SANS!” the older skeleton hears his brother stomp up the stairs.

Sans rapidly pull his shorts back on so Papyrus doesn’t catch him in the act again. The younger skeleton bursts in Sans’s room, screaming his name.

“SANS! I AM GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE BECAUSE WE ARE IN DIRE NEED OF SUPPLIES!”

“k, bro,” Sans says lazily.

“I WILL ACQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE!”

“nah, you can do anything without help, bro,”

“NYEH HEH HEH THAT IS VERY TRUE, DEAR BROTHER, HOWEVER THIS IS A CLEVER RUSE TO, CRAFTED BY I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, TO END YOUR MOPING AND GET SOME FRESH AIR!”

“i’m not moping,” Sans groans into his pillow.

“YES YOU ARE, BUT FEAR NOT! THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL CURE YOU OF YOUR AFFLICTION!”

Sans complains to himself as his brother picks him and drags him to the car, ignoring the blatant protests. Papyrus leaves a note on the fridge for you in case you came home early from your shopping, but he doubt you would. The tall skeleton throws his brother in the passenger seat, eliciting an “umf” sound. Wanting to distract his brother from his gloom, Papyrus talks about his day, closely watching Sans’s reaction. He chatters away about getting a raise from his boss, about the nice old man who handed him a flyer about animals, and a human who gave him a free brownie, although it smelled kinda funny.

“paps, bro, did you eat the brownie?” Sans asks, suddenly alert.

“NO! I DID NOT! I DON’T HAVE THE STOMACH FOR SUCH UNHEALTHY FOODS!” Papyrus ‘nyeh’ loudly.

Sans sighs in relief, “Where’s the brownie now?”

“I PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE!”

Sans sends you a text warning you not to eat the pastry in the fridge and exits the car after Papyrus parks. The automatic door slides open as the brothers walk in. Papyrus grabs a shopping cart and heads straight for the pasta aisle, scanning through various shapes of pasta. Sans spots a container of farfalle and and throws it in the cart for you. Papyrus once asked why you like that one when angel hair is obviously better, but you just giggled and said ‘bowties are cool’.  Papyrus moves onto the sauce, tossing seemingly random brands of red jars into the car, somehow miraculously managing to keep them intact. The pasta loving skeleton then picks up and eyes the pesto and alfredo sauce curiously.

“SANS, LADY TORIEL SUGGESTED THAT I TRY A DIFFERENT PASTA SAUCE, WHICH SHOULD I GET?” Papyrus asks.

“why would she suggest that? any pasta that’s not spaghetti is an impasta,” Sans winks as his brother screams, “but go with alfredo. everyone likes alfredo.”

“WOWIE BROTHER! MAYBE THE HUMAN WOULD BE SO SURPRISED, THEY’LL JOIN US FOR DINNER TODAY!”

Sans’s permanent grin twitches as he reminds himself that he’ll have to force you to have dinner with them tonight. You could break his heart, but he won’t allow you to break this brother’s, “don’t worry, paps. i’m sure she’ll be ecstatic.”

Papyrus gasps, anime sparkles twinkling all around him. He squeezes his brother in a tight hug then cartwheels away to check off the other items in his list, even throwing in a bag of blueberry flavored lollipops in the cart for you since he noticed that you’ve been down in the dumps lately too.

“Sans are you and the human fighting?” Papyrus asks as he swipes his card.

“what makes you think that?” Sans doesn’t meet his brother’s gaze.

“You two haven’t been talking. And the house has been very tense lately. Is this about what happened during Christmas?”

Sans sighs, “yeah, but don’t worry about it, paps. we aren’t arguing, just drifting,”

“NONSENSE BROTHER! EVEN I COULD TELL YOU STILL HAVE FEELINGS FOR HER!” Papyrus loads the groceries into the trunk.

“she doesn’t feel the same, bro,”

“AND YOU’RE GOING TO LET THAT STAND IN YOUR WAY OF FRIENDSHIP? YOU NEED TO TALK TO HER SANS!”

Realizing his brother is right, Sans chuckles, “thanks for the advice bro. you’re the best.”

“OF COURSE I AM! I’M THE GREAT PAPYRUS AFTER ALL! NYEH HEH HEH!” the tall skeleton posed proudly.

The gravel crunches behind them, the heavy stomps of boots approaching at an alarming rate. Sans whirls around, pushing his brother behind him, his right eye flaring blue.

“Heh heh. It looks like we got some dirty old monsters here. Skeletons though, seriously? And here I thought they couldn’t get uglier,” a man in his late twenties pulls out a black handgun and aims it at the smaller skeleton, “If you know what’s good for you, you two would come with me. I know some people who are very interested in meeting you.”

“WOWIE! I LOVE MEETING NEW PEOPLE!” Papyrus cheered enthusiastically, though it sounds a bit forced.

“Shut up!” the man shouts, re directioning his gun to the taller skeleton.

Sans teleports himself in front of the man, making him stumble backwards. The monster’s eye flamed fiercely, a gasterblaster charging behind him.

“ **y o u r e a l l y d o n ‘ t w a n t t o d o t h a t , b u d d y ,** ”

Blood drains out of the attacker’s face, his pupils wide with fear, cold sweat dripping from his neck. The man drops his gun and backs away some more, holding his hands up in a desperate surrender.

“Hey! What’s going on here?!” a voice calls from the distance.

Sans turns to the source of the interruption the gasterblaster moving with him, aiming a police officer who stared at the weapon in horror.  The distraction allowed the attacker to pick up his gun and run away. Seeing the threat gone, the gasterblaster disappears and Sans’s magic dies down. The terrified officer approached the skeletons meekly, ruffling his brown hair. Papyrus springs into action, prepared to defend his brother for his actions.

“OFFICER, I CAN EXPLAIN! MY BROTHER WAS ACTING IN SELF DEFENSE-”

“Calm down, Papyrus. I’m not a real policeman,” their savior says, startling both brothers as to how he knows Papyrus’s name.

“who are you and how do you know my brother’s name?” Sans growled.

“I’m a friend of ____’s. My name is Daniel. She talks about you two all the time,” Daniel offers his hand which Papyrus gladly shakes, “I saw what was happening and I thought you needed a hand. ___ would be very upset if you went to jail, Sans.”

“HE PULLED A GUN ON US FIRST, THOUGH” Papyrus whined.

Daniel looked at him in sympathy, “I know, I’m sorry, but you know how it is,”

Papyrus keeps his eyes on the ground, moving the pebbles around with his foot.

“if you’re not a police officer, then why are you dressed like that?” Sans asks curiously.

“Can’t use the props without the costume,” Daniel winks.

Sans’s eye sockets go black while Papyrus asks his brother what that meant.

“Well, I gotta go now. It was nice meeting you two. Take care of ___ for me, she’s been pretty down lately. See ya!” Daniel runs off, handcuffs dangling at his sides.

Hearing your name sends a tingle through Sans’s spine, “come on, paps. let’s go home,”


	16. The Wedding of Undyne and Alphys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yay it's finally happening! Our two favorite scaly friends are getting married! Is Undyne scaley? She's a fish monster right? Fishes have scales.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot describe how fun it was to write this chapter! Yes, it took longer than I though but I had work and stuff. Also, I SAW DAN AND PHIL ON THEIR TOUR AND SHIT GUYS, IT WAS AMAZING! They're the ones who got me into Undertale in the first place and without them, this fic wouldn't exist. So I'm dedicating this chapter to my two favorite people in the whole world. I hope you guys enjoy this update!
> 
>  
> 
> [ Wanna see my progress and stuff? ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

You knead the flaming red hair through your fingers, twirling it around your index to keep the bounce. Setting down your brush, you inspect your work one last time before deciding that you are satisfied and spin the chair around so Undyne could see for herself. The fish monster gasps, her yellow eyes twinkling in amazement.

“Holy shit, punk, this is actually really good!” Undyne cries.

“D-Did you expect something less?” you try not to take offense to her tone.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that, ugh, it’s beautiful, okay? Thank you,”

“You’re welcome,” you give her a sincere smile, “Now go, Toriel still needs to fix up your veil a bit,”

Undyne nods and grabs her veil on the vanity, thanking you one last time before heading out the door.

“Undyne wait!” you call out to her. She pauses, at the doorway, “I know that we haven’t been on the best terms, but before you get married, I just want to apologize. I’m sorry for shouting at you, a couple weeks ago. I shouldn’t have gotten mad, you were just trying to help. And you are right. About everything. Sans and I still aren’t the same, but I will try.”

Undyne wraps her arms around you. She smells like saltwater and watermelons, “I forgive you. And I’m sorry too. I didn’t have any right to meddle like that,”

You and your friend stay like that for a while before you rush her out the door so she could get married. A heavy weight has been lifted off your chest and you feel like you could finally breathe again. Since you have some time before the ceremony starts, you wander the hotel, admiring the Asian decor, cherry blossoms falling on your styled up hair as your heels clicks on the marbled floor. Your violet dress flowed just above your knees and you wore a simple gold chained necklace with a star pendant in between your breasts. Your V-neck hangs low, flattering your cleavage.  You make your way to the beach, the salty breeze tingling your skin. You take off your shoes and the sands beneath you sink under your weight, the seagulls cawing in the distance. The clear and bright sky looms above you like a protective blanket, always comforting and endless. You take a deep breath in and slowly exhale, allowing serenity to wash over you like tidal wave. Despite everything going on: your tension with Sans and the rising monster violence, you’ve never been more happy in your entire life.

When you heard about happened at the grocery store, you nearly puked at what could’ve happened if Daniel hadn’t been there. You weren’t prepared to lose them, they are everything you had left. You don’t know what to do without the brothers, they’ve made your life filled with so much hope and love, you could never ever part with it. When you went in for work the next day, you nearly squeezed the life out of your boss, thanking him in any possible way you could. You really owe him one.

You start to notice the other monster guests heading towards the garden, so you follow. The ceremony must be starting soon. You remember Alphys suggesting a small wedding which Undyne agreed to, but this is a bigger turnout than you thought. The entire canine unit from Snowdin showed up; Dogamy and Dograressa retelling their own wedding stories. Even Endogeny was invited, though it was restricted to a large clear area so its huge, melting body doesn’t disturb the guests and decorations. That however, did not stop them from slobbering black goo from its wide orifice on anyone who approaches it. Mettaton flamboyantly poses for a circle guests, absorbing the attention while his cousin, Napstablook, hides in the corner with his dapper hat and bowtie. The ghost’s acid tears singed the pavement around them. Surprisingly, even the Snowdrake family attended with their mother. Even if she is fused with seventeen other monsters, the amalgamate seems happy to be with her family again. You spot the skeleton brothers in the very front row, Papyrus waves you over and you join them. The brothers are wearing identical black suits, though Papyrus’s tie is a bright orange and Sans’s is a pretty shade of royal blue. Your heart tugs when you see him clean up so well. Gone was the blue jacket he always wears, replaced by a smooth black blazer. You knees go weak. What could you say? You’re a sucker for guys in fancy suits. Papyrus doesn’t look too bad himself.

“Wow Sans. You look great,” a blush creeps up your neck and you don’t meet his eyes.

“heh. so do you,” Sans’s cheeks dusted blue.

You have to hold yourself back from kissing them. Platonically, of course.

Friends kiss each other’s cheeks all the time right? It’s not weird if your heart always beats loudly around him or that he makes you feel safe and loved. Cause that’s what happens when you’re friends with someone! It definitely wouldn’t be weird if you lean in and-

“HUMAN! TAKE A SEAT NEXT TO ME!” Papyrus pulls next to him, pulling out a chair for you like a gentleman. He sits down in the corner chair, leaving Sans no choice but to chose the seat next to yours.

Papyrus isn’t as innocent as he looks, now is he?

You feel the older skeleton’s gaze trailing over your body, making you shift in discomfort. You swing one leg over the other and struck a strand of hair behind your ear to help ease yourself, but it doesn’t work. Instead, you clear your throat. Sans blinks and his blush begins to match his tie. He looks away, his smile looking more like a grimace. You decide to focus on something else.

King Asgore, in his royal robes, stands proudly inside the gazebo, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Rose bushes sway on both sides of the gazebo, the red petals falling to the ground when someone walks by. Imported cherry blossom trees stands in every corner, decorated with white lace. In the distance, the ocean waves roared, the water sparkles romantically under the sun.

Slowly the wedding theme begins to play, picking up speed and volume as the engaged couple walks out hand in hand, Frisk in their little flower child tuxedo throwing flower petals before them. The guests silently rise as their attention focuses on the brides; Mettaton dramatically sobs from his seat. Alphys nervously waves to everyone, but with the squeeze of her beloved’s hand, she calms down, even enjoying herself. The two make it inside the gazebo, facing each other, their hands locked together as they get lost in each other’s eyes.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” King Asgore’s voice booms, “We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of former Captain of the Royal Guard, Undyne, and former Royal Scientist, Alphys!”

Beside you, Papyrus claps and hollers, everyone, including you, joining in. Asgore waits til the excitement dies down before proceeding. The couple are unfazed and you doubt they even noticed since they are too busy admiring each other.

“Us monsters have had a long and hard journey and it’s not over yet,” Asgore continues, “But with this marriage, it shows that no matter what, we will always have love and hope. You two will become the symbol for our people that anything is possible as long as we have our loved ones by our side.”

Asgore’s gaze fixes on Toriel and she glares at him til he continues again.

“You may say your vows,” Asgore shrinks under the glare.

Alphys looks at Asgore then back to Undyne, taking a deep breath, “U-Undyne, you’ve made my life so much b-better in so many ways. Uhm… ehehe you helped me become the a better person and you’ve seen all my flaws. You’ve even seen me at my lowest point, yet you stuck around and still care for me even when I don’t deserve it. Y-You’re so special to me Undyne, I promise to be by your side as long as you’ll have me. I will do everything I can to make you happy,”

The crowd goes aww and the yellow monster blushes. You can’t stop smiling.

“I guess it’s my turn now,” Undyne laughs nervously, a rare sight itself, “I’m not really into this mushy cutie kind of stuff, but Alphys, you make me like it. You’re my whole world babe.  You’re determined and passionate, the two qualities that made me fall in love with you. But as I got to know you, you’re not only that, but you’re loyal and smart as heck. You care so much about the people around you and you are so hard working, even if you spend most of your time watching anime. Because of that, I kept falling in love with you deeper and deeper until I love you more than I ever thought possible. You’ve become the reason why I wake up every morning…”

Sans’s skeletal hand snakes around yours and you curl your fingers into his, your heart skipping a beat.

“...when I’m sad or upset, I just think about how much you believe in me, how much faith you have in me and it makes my soul grow brighter. I love you Alphys. I will be with you until the day I turn to dust. No, even after that. I will make our lives together exciting and new. There will never be a dull moment as long as we are together.”

The crowd goes wild as you tighten your hand around Sans’s fingers. The entire canine unit collectively howls; Endogeny joining in as well, though it sounds more like a screech of a dying animal. It means well.  

“Ahem,” Asgore silences the audience, “Do you, Undyne, take Alphys to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“Heck yeah I do!” Undyne grins so brightly, it almost blinds the guests.

“Do you, Alphys, take Undyne to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I-I do!” Alphys smiles, tears streaming down her face.

“Then I, King Asgore of the Underground, pronounce wife and wife! You may kiss the bride!”

Undyne and Alphys are immediately locked in each other’s embrace, kissing passionately almost like they’ve forgotten about the world around them. The wedding guests erupt into a deafening roar, Toriel laughing as she cover Frisk’s eyes, Mettaton still wails out of happiness and blowing his nose into a tissue. Wait, he’s a robot, can he even do that? Papyrus jumps onto the gazebo, hugging the now married couple til they can’t breathe and doesn’t let go until Undyne playfully punches him in his femur.  You giggle and wipe away a tear, glancing at the shorter skeleton whose fingers are still intertwined with yours. Sans looks at you the same way he looks at the stars; with a wide, awed expression like he’s seeing you for the first time.  You pull him closer to you, a quiet sob escaped your lips as the barrier between you and the skeleton breaks down. You bury your face into his jacket, whispering echos of “I’m sorrys” repeatedly until Sans strokes your hair, calming you down. God you’ve missed this. You’ve missed him.

“I’ve never seen you so emotional. You’re practically in tiers,” Sans winks at you.

You howl with laughter, more tears streaming down your face, staining his jacket, your knees going weak. Oh god, how did you even survive this long without hearing his stupid puns?

“We need to be ad **dress** ing a different issue here,” you reach into his pocket and pull out packs of ketchup, “Really Sans?”

“I always have them a **veil** able,” Sans shrugs, his grin becoming more genuine.

Papyrus is shrieking nearby while both Undyne and Alphys simultaneously shush him so you two could have your moment. You and Sans chuckle as you make your way to congratulate the newlyweds. You keep your hands locked together as your magic drums jovially in your soul. You are never letting him go. Ever.

* * *

 

The wedding reception is being held at Mettaton’s new surface restaurant, identical to the one in the Underground. The celebrity robot closed off the restaurant completely for the reception. The wedding guests mingled amongst each other while Grillby provided drinks and Muffet provided pastries, for a price of course. You are seated at a round table with your closest friends, the skelebros, Frisk, and Toriel, who is bouncing off jokes with Sans. The entire time, Papyrus’s eyes angrily bug out. How is that possible, you still don’t know.  The newlyweds are greeting each table warmly, making light conversation, but mainly are focused on each other. You and Frisk gush at their cuteness, giggling whenever Undyne leans down to kiss her wife.  Human servers gracefully place dishes of spaghetti and bread before you, Papyrus instantly chowing down on the Italian dish and you do so as well.  Man, it’s been so long since you’ve had a decent plate of spaghetti. You love Papy to death, but that skeleton can’t cook at all. Suddenly, Mettaton stops by your table, pulling out a chair for himself while flashing his magnificent legs. The robot swings his arms around your shoulders and give you a his famous smile.

“Hello darling~ Are you the famous ___?”

“Uh… famous?” you try to escape his grip but he easily pulls you back in; you look at your friends, silently pleading for help, but they just snicker in amusement.

“Why yes, gorgeous! Well, not as famous as me of course. Anyway, our lovely married friends tells me that you’re the one who helped them pick out their lovely wedding dresses,”

“Frisk helped too,” you stated, already weirded out by the conversation.

“Ohoho~ I’m sure they did! But you, my darling, have impeccable taste! In fact, I came here to offer you a job!”

“A job?” you are unsure about this. You love working at the bookstore, but you’re only being paid minimum wage. Working with a celebrity like Mettaton could increase your assets, but you aren’t very comfortable being so near the spotlight. Not with your powers.

“Yes darling~ I want you to be my wardrobe consultant! And since I travel a lot for my tours, you get the opportunity to come along with me!”

You turn to your friends, watching their reactions. Frisk and Toriel nod their head in encouragement while Papyrus slouched sadly, but nods his head anyway. Only Sans is unreadable.  The choice is obvious.

“Thank you Mettaton, but I have everything I need here,” Sans’s white orbs light

up and you reach for his hand under the table.

“Oh, what a shame,” Mettaton’s eyes dart between you and Sans, “Well, if you ever change your mind, darling, I’ll be in touch~”

The robot leaves and you take a sip of your soda, “Well that was weird,”

Suddenly, Undyne and Alphys appears on the stage, bouquets in hand  while their dresses shimmers under the spotlight.

“Could we have everyone’s attention please!” the microphone screeched, making the guests flinch, “Hah, sorry about that. Anyway, it’s time for the ceremonial bouquet toss!”

A wave of murmurs flitted throughout the crowd.

“Weren’t you supposed to do that earlier?” a monster you don’t recognize spoke up.

“Shut up, it’s **my** wedding!” Undyne growls, “Could I get all the single ladies in

the center please?”

Toriel makes her way to the front and you follow her, waving at Alphys when you see her. The other female monsters join you, forming a small circle around the stage. Toriel jumps in excitement  like a little school girl, her paws preparing for the toss. Undyne taps on the microphone twice.

“Ready punks? Here I go!” Undyne hurls the bouquet into the air, every female

pushing  each other for the catch.

Suddenly, the Annoying Dog leaps up 15 feet in the air, absorbing the flowers in its white fur before pouncing offscreen. The restaurant sat in stunned silence, the only noise coming from Sans slurping his drink.

“Uhm. Okay. Babe, your turn,” Undyne makes room on the stage for her wife.

Alphys gulps and looks at Undyne who smiles in encouragement. The yellow monster scans the crowd and with a deep breath, tosses the flowers  into the hoard of women, clawing each other for the bouquet. You back away, refusing to be a part of this madness. Even motherly Toriel, is using her large size to intimidate the other women. The bouquet spirals down into a sea of arms. You look up, following the bouquet’s descent and of course, you manage to catch it with your face. You stumble backwards and yelp in surprise from the sudden impact as the flowers fall to the ground. Swooping quickly to pick up the flowers, you then hold it up in the air for everyone to see.

“I got it!” you exclaim.

The guests cheer while some of the other females give you dirty looks. Alphys rushes to your side.

“Oh my gosh, I-I’m so sorry!” she cries.

“No worries, Alph! I’m fine, see?” you give her a big smile, “Thanks for the bouquet. Now go be with your wife.”

The monster hesitates a bit, but leaves you to join Undyne. You return to your table and offer the flowers to Frisk who accepts it with glee.

“let’s face it kid. you’re not very good at catching things,” Sans sips on his ketchup.

You return to your seat and sigh dramatically, “Why must you make puns about my suffering?”

“here, have a drink. thistle make you feel better,” Sans  holds up his bottle.

“Leaf me alone, Sans,” you groan, but you take the ketchup bottle anyway.

You refuse to back down from his challenge. Okay, he didn’t really challenge you, but whatever. Everyone at the table looks at you with anticipation so you unscrew the cap and take a deep breath before squirting a large amounts of the salty tomato sauce into your mouth. Your face immediately scrunches up  as you slam the bottle onto the table. You ball your fists and try to swallow, but the sourness and salty flavor prevents you. You bang your fist on the table and force yourself to swallow. Come on, you dealt with Papyrus’s awful spaghetti for two months, you could swallow some goddamn ketchup. Spitters are quitters. At least, that’s what the kids are saying nowadays. With all the determination you have, you gulp down the sauce and you are finally able to breathe again. Everyone at the table cheers while Sans looks mildly impressed.

“Wow that was disgusting,” you pour your soda into your mouth to wash out the taste.

“I must condiment you for your efforts,” Sans claps.

“Lettuce move away from these stupid puns,” you grin.

Frisk and Toriel snicker while Papy seethed in his annoyance.

Hours later, the reception reaches its peak when the wedding guests are scrambling on the dance floor to DJ Napstablook’s tunes. You have to admit, the shy ghost is pretty good. You and Sans are the only ones at your table now; Frisk is off on the dance floor with Monster Kid while Toriel is chatting with other monsters. Papyrus is still trying to convince Grillby to put spaghetti on the menu.   

“do you wanna dance?” Sans asks.

You shake your head, “Dancing isn’t really my thing. I got two left feet, sorry.”

“heh. it’s cool sugar,” you haven’t heard that pet name in so long, your magic sparks excitedly in your soul, “i’m not much of a dancer myself. too much work.”

You and the skeleton revert back into comfortable silence, enjoying each other’s company. You toy with a blueberry from the cake and pop it in your mouth, savoring the sweetness.

“do you wanna get outta here?” Sans asks nonchalantly, but you notice a faint blue tint on his cheeks.

“We can’t just leave in the middle of our best friends’ reception,” you point out.

Sans’s grin grows wider, “don’t worry. i know a place,”

The skeleton grabs your hand and you expect to feel the familiar tingle of teleportation, but instead, he leads you down a dark hallway, stealing a bottle of champagne and two glasses  from the bar when Grillby wasn’t looking.

“Where are we going?” you ask, curiously.

Sans doesn’t answer. Instead, he stops in front of the supply closet and pulls the door open, ushering you inside. Once you’re enclosed in the small room, Sans closes the door behind him, enveloping you in darkness. His hands searches for the light switch on the wall and flips it, illuminating the closet in a soft, warm glow. The light bulb dangles above you and you realize how close the skeleton is to you. Your skin tingles with his breath on your skin.

“S-Sans?” you back away nervously and accidently kick a bucket.

With slight difficulty, Sans sits on the ground and so do you, facing the short skeleton. He pours the champagne in the glasses and hands you one. You take it, hesitating to drink.  

“something wrong?” Sans asks, tilting his head.

“No, I just never had alcohol before,” you blush, slightly embarrassed.

“seriously? never?” Sans raises a metaphorical brow in astonishment.

“I never got the chance I guess,” you shrug.

“well, here’s to first times,” Sans raises his glass and clinked it against yours.

You raise the glass to your lips, the golden, sparkling liquid flooding in your mouth. The sudden bitterness catches you off guard, the bubbles fizzing on your tongue, but a pleasant sweetness soons relieves you.

“Wow… that’s bitter,”

“it’s alcohol, sugar,” Sans smiles smugly.

You take another sip, shrugging at it now, but still finding it rather unpleasant but tolerable.

“Why are we here Sans?” a bead of sweat rolls down your neck, “Not like I mind or anything, but where here?”

“you said you wanted to stay at the party. and I wanted to be alone with you,” Sans shrugs.

“We were alone at our table,” you point out.

“not that kind of alone,” Sans’s skeletal fingers brush against your ankle and your magic sparks inside you, “i never apologized for the kiss,”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to,” your breathing gets heavier.

“i should though. i’m sorry. it was wrong of me to do so without asking,”

“Sans… thank you. And I’m sorry for avoiding you this past month. That was an overreaction,” you hang your head in shame.

“don’t worry about it, sugar. we’re cool now, right?”

“Yeah. We are,” you smile brightly.

A comfortable silence settled between the two of you. Sans lightly strokes your ankle  and your heart picks up in speed, the magic stirring inside you.

“Sans?” you whisper.

“hm?”

“Can you uh… kiss me again?” a blush creeps up your face and you don’t meet the skeleton’s eyes.

Sans sucks in a breath and stay silent.

“Ha...ha...I’m just messing with you. We should probably-”

Sans leans in closer to you, pushing your body against the shelf and cups your face with his hand.

“are you sure?” Sans asks in a low growl, ignoring your previous statement.

You nod your head, your throat suddenly dry .Your fear replaced by intense desire, magic thumping rapidly against your soul, but that just might be your heartbeat. The lightbulb flickers from your magic outburst, but Sans pays no attention. Instead, he gently pulls your face closer to his and firmly presses his teeth against your lips.

You never realized how much of an idiot you were until now. God, what on earth made you believe that you just stay friends with him? How did you even deny your feverish need for his touch, for your name in his voice, for the sensation of his smooth bones under your fingertips? You kiss him heatedly, wrapping your arms around his vertebrae, your breasts against his sternum. His hands are playing in your hair and you melt under this touch. It’s him. It’s only him. It will always be him. Your soul tries to push itself out of your chest, but you hold it back, now wanting to ruin the moment. You pull back and place your forehead against his, breathing heavily. Your arms are wrapped around his body, refusing to let go.

“Sans,” you take a moment to allow your breathing to even out, “What… what are we?”

Sans strokes your cheeks gently, “we could be whatever you want us to be.”

You pull away from him,  untangling yourself from the mess of bones and lean against the shelf, running your fingers through your messy hair.

“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me. It’s a shit ton of messed up stuff and I don’t know if what we have could survive it,” a bolt electricity crawls under your skin.

“i know. but there are a lot of things you don’t know about me either. tibia honest, you probably won’t believe me. but we will cross that bridge when we get to it. we don’t have to say everything at once. we’ll ease into it,”

Can you really do this? Can you trust his words? You know that he’ll break your heart, but well, fuck it. If you could have a sliver of happiness with Sans, you won’t mind a lifetime of misery. You lean in and giggle to yourself.

“Okay, boneboy. We’ll try this,”

You and your boyfriend are once again locked in each other’s embrace, kissing passionately as if the other would disappear if let go. Suddenly the door swings open, Undyne and Alphys standing before you,  arms crossed smugly. You quickly push Sans away, heat rising to your face in embarrassment. Your eyes widen in horror at you must look like with your messy hair and dress strap falling off your shoulders. Sans just nonchalantly waves.

“Undyne it’s canon!” Alphys fangirls.

“So this is where you two sneaked off to,” Undyne winks, or probably blinked but it’s hard to tell with her eye patch, “Never thought you were the type to do it in public though,”

“Oh my god, I’m going to die,” you cover your face, anime steam coming out of you .

“Looks like your trip to the bone zone is over,” Sans winks.

You smack your boyfriend in the ribs.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO MUCH FLUFF HOLY SHIT GUYS I NEVER REALIZED HOW MUCH I PREFER WRITING FLUFF OVER ANGST. This was going to be more angsty but I don't know if I could handle it, plus this serves the plot better than meaningless suffering. Sadly, you don't get to go to the bone zone just yet, but the way things are going now? ... Well I still can't guarantee it at this point.


	17. Sunset Poppies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The consequences of your flavor choice catches up to you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter another day! Ok more like it took me 4 days to write this haha. I don't know why, but this chapter was way to hard to type up. I haven't had this experience since chapter seven, I believe? I guess I'm just getting burnt out. Plus getting distracted by tumblr. I have a very busy weekend coming up so I won't have that much time to write, but I'll try my best! Thank you to those who support me and read my fic. I love you guys very much <3  
>  *slight nsfw on second half*   
>  
> 
> [ Stop by and say hi ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

Sunlight breaks through your window, flooding your room in a soft glow, enough to see the dust particles float in the air. You curl up against the sleeping skeleton next to you, inhaling his scent of ketchup and grease, your magic purring contently. You nuzzle closer, absent-mindedly stroking his exposed ribs  and sinking into the comforts of your mattress. You wander into your land of dreams, your body being caressed by bones and sleep. Sans’s hand finds your head and strokes it softly, making your soul heat up.

Suddenly, your bedroom door slams open and you let out a startled shriek, falling off the bed and landing on your butt.

“RISE AND SHINE, PUNK!!!” Undyne shouts at the top of her lungs, Papyrus following closely behind her.

“What the hell, Undyne?!” you rub the sleep out of your eyes, while Sans doesn’t even stir, “What time is it?”

“It’s time to do some training, duh!” Undyne summons and spear and throws at you.

You instinctively roll out the way, and the weapon smashes into your bookshelf, books and papers flying everywhere. You weep for your destroyed copies of _Percy Jackson_. Sans rolls over to his side and pulls the blanket over his head.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon?” a spear pierces your chest, dropping your hp by four points, “And please, don’t throw spears in my room!”

“We just got back last night! I’m so jetlagged right now, but what better way to fight it than hardcore training?!”

“I don’t know, sleeping?” you reply sarcastically.

“NGGGAHH don’t be so salty! Sleeping is for losers! Now let’s go!” the fish warrior flings you over her shoulders and carries you into the backyard.

A blue haze hovers around your door and closes it once you’re out.

Asshole.

Undyne drops you on the grass and Papyrus uses his blue attack to weigh you down. The skeleton cheers you on as Undyne summons countless spears, aiming it at your dodging body. Her attacks grow faster and harder as they keep missing. Soon, the both of you are sweating and panting, exhausted from your workout. Who knew dodging deadly spears in your pajamas was so tiring?

“You’re doing good, punk! Not as good as Frisk yet, but in a normal human fight, you’ll be able to survive,” Undyne praises.

“That’s not good enough,” you huff, “I wanna learn how to fight.”

“I APPLAUD YOUR ENTHUSIASM TO BECOME AS GREAT AS I, HOWEVER YOU SHOULD NOT ENGAGE IN FIGHTS!” Papyrus says.

“Think of it as self defense. I can’t keep dodging forever, you know. And offense is the best defense. Please Undyne,” you beg.

The former captain strokes her chin, debating whether this is a good idea. She then looks at Papyrus who nods in approval.

“Alright punk! I admire your dedication! Let’s start by teaching you how to throw a good punch,” Undyne yells and you spring your arms around her.

“Thank you! Thank you!” you jumps excitedly.

“Yeah, yeah. Now let’s get started! Hold up your arms like this,” the fish monster raises your fists, demonstrating the stance, “Now when you deliver your punch, extend your arms and use your chest, shoulders, and triceps for power. Envision your foe as your greatest enemy and deliver the hit with maximum power!”

You and Undyne continue to practice then eventually moving onto efficient kicking and blocking. You realize that you favor blocking over dodging, but dodging is better to tire out your opponent. Your muscles are burning and your entire body is sore, but you keep going, reminding yourself you are doing this for your family. Never again will you be helpless.

“Are you ever going to teach me how to surplex like you?” you ask while taking a sip of water Papyrus hands you.

Undyne laughs like you told her the best joke in the world, “HAHA PLEASE! You’re going to need muscles like these to surplex anything!”

The fish warrior flexes her muscles and kisses each arm. You pout, but you figure she’s probably right anyway.

“BUT YOU HAVE YOUR SIZE AS AN ADVANTAGE!” Papyrus offers to make you feel better, “YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE STRONGEST MUSCLES, BUT WITH YOUR STRUCTURE, YOU’RE QUICK AND AGILE!”

“Yeah! Plus, you have great stamina and endurance!” you blush at their praises, “I have an idea! Let’s spar and see your progress!”

“I really rather not get any more bruises,” you wipe your sweat away, and dry your soaked hair.

“I’m not going to fight you! Papyrus will. He’s got more self control than me,” Undyne points to the skeleton with her thumb.

“DO NOT WORRY, HUMAN! THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL GO EASY ON YOU!” Papyrus summons a bone and swings at you, which you block with your forearm.

The skeleton pushes you back and aims for your torso, but again you block then aim your fist at his ribs. Papyrus intercepts your attack, grabbing your arm and twisting it behind your back. You yelp in pain, but Papyrus eases up a little, though he doesn’t let you go. With him locking you like this, you can’t move without breaking your arm, which to be honest, you considered if it meant victory, but you searched for another option. Come on, think. How do you get out of this? You scan the skeleton’s form in your peripheral vision and notice that he’s close enough to land a hit. You roughly stomp on his boots with all the force you could muster, catching him off guard and releasing you. You and Papyrus continue to spar for another hour and by the end of it, you are lying on the ground, every part of your body burning like an ice cube on fire and panting like a dog.

“Now that’s what I call a great training session! You did good punk!” Undyne sprays you with a hose which you gladly encouraged.

“NYEH HEH! SOON ENOUGH YOU’LL BE AS STRONG AS THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” the skeleton picks up this bone attacks.

All you could do is offer a weak thumbs up from the praise. Papyrus helps you up and you brush off the grass stains on your knees. You and the two monsters head back inside  where you offer to brew some coffee for Undyne but she declines, saying she needs to get back to Alphys. You walk your friend out the door, waving goodbye as she drives away. You check the time.

“Shit, it’s already nine?! I gotta get to work!” you flip the coffee machine on and scramble past the tall skeleton, but he stops you.

“Are you sure it’s wise to go to work now? From the training today, you should rest up for the day,” Papyrus suggests.

Your heart leaps at his concern, a foreign warmth blossoming within you. You tip toe and pull the skeleton to your height, planting a kiss on his cheeks as an orange blush spreads across his face.

“I appreciate your concern, Papy, but I’ll be fine. There’s a lot of stuff that needs to be done and Daniel needs my help. I can handle it,”

“Alright,” Papyrus sighs, “Just don’t push yourself too hard!”

“I won’t, Papy!” you sprint up the stairs to use the shower.

As the steaming water trickles down your back, your muscles and joints loosen, relieving all the tension and hard work you put your body through this morning. You go through your normal shower routine, even double sniffing your body wash, because damn, that lemon scent smells good. Steam rises as you step out of the glass door, then wrap a towel around your body, the softness tickling your wet skin. You dry yourself off and make your way back downstairs to your room to find some clothes. When you open the door, you remembered the sleeping lump on your bed and smile softly to yourself. With one hand holding the towel, you shake your boyfriend awake.

“Sans, honey. Wake up,” you whisper.

The skeleton grunts and pulls the blanket over himself.

“Sans please. Go back to your room. I gotta change,” you beg.

“then change,” you could practically hear him grinning under the blanket.

“If you don’t get out, I will ask Papyrus to drag your boney ass upstairs,” you threaten.

Your boyfriend whines, but teleports himself out, your falling blanket filling up the space he once was. You laugh triumphantly and pull out a simple blue sundress from your closet. You quickly threw on a white cardigan, picking up your coffee from your boyfriend on the way out the door. You allow the door to close behind you, but a  nagging feeling stops you. You rush back inside, where Sans tilts his head in confusion.

“Forgot something,” you peck him on his cheek, turning him bright blue, “See you later, bone boy,”

You run to the bus stop, not caring if you’re late anymore. Ten minutes later, you arrive at the bookstore, earning a warning from Daniel but you apologize and went straight to restocking the books. You grab a box of the adult erotica genre and head into the adult section hidden behind curtains. The lewd covers makes you blush, but it doesn’t really bother you. Reaching the books on the shelves, you organize the products in alphabetical order, but one of the covers with a half naked woman dressed in a sultry nun outfit caught your eye. You pick it up curiously, scanning your surroundings to make sure your boss doesn’t see you. You skim through the pages, blushing heavily at the smut scenes and absorbing any new information you could find, a tingling heat pressing in between your legs.

“I see you sinning~” Daniel sings, startling you enough to drop the book.

“Shit, I can explain!” Oh god. Reset Frisk. Please reset.

“No need,” your boss laughs, “I do that too sometimes,”

“Right…” you inch away from him, “I’m going to go, uh, that way,”

You pull open the curtain and notice a customer with dusty blonde hair and big

glasses  walk in. Putting on your best smile, you go into employee mode.

“Welcome to Underbooks, may I help you find anything?”

“Yeah...uh..do you have anything by Dean Koontz?” the customer asks, surprising you with his smooth and light voice.

“Right this way,” you direct him to the thriller section and left him alone to browse.

At the cash register, you notice your usually charismatic boss gawk at the customer with wide eyes, his hands twitching erratically and his breathing becoming labored. You furrow your eyebrows and head over to the counter, placing your hand on his arm.

“You okay, boss?” you ask.

“Y-Yeah. I-I’m fine,” he stutters.

The customer brings up a copy of _Whispers_ and seeing the state your boss is in, you usher him away while you help the customer.

“Oh, I know you,” the customer says to Daniel, “We have biology together right? I didn’t know you worked here,”

Daniel leans on a stack of books, attempting to look suave, but failing, “Y-Yeah. I own it. I’m a business owner. Very professional a-and stuff,”

The stacks of books falls over, your boss going down with it. You smack your forehead and shake your head, eternally cringing at what just happened. The customer stifles a laugh.

“That’ll be $5.99,” you scan the book and rush the customer to avoid any more awkward situations.

“What was that about?” you ask your boss while he’s picking up the books, “You don’t normally lose your cool like that,”

“I-It’s nothing! Just get back to stocking those books!”

Realization dawns upon you and you channel your inner Undyne, giving him your best shit eating grin, “Ohhhh you liiiiiiike him, don’t you,”

“What are you, five?” Daniel glares at your when you wiggle your eyebrows, “It’s just weird to see a classmate outside of class,”

“Now who’s the one in denial?” you place your hands on your hips.

“You’re lucky I like you. Otherwise I’d fire you for your sass a long time ago,”

“Or, I’m your only other employee and you’re too lazy to find someone else and train them,”

“I swear to God, ___” Daniel pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Okay, okay. I’ll back off. For now,” you wink.

You and Daniel fall back into the usual sorting and stocking the inventory and you eagerly wait til the clock strikes three. Your legs are beginning to weaken and you dread having to walk to the bus stop later. Finally your shift ends and you rest in the break room before leaving. The sweet relief of relaxation courses through your tired body.

“Hey ___, your Sans is here,” Daniel pokes his head in.

Sans is here? Your soul tingles at the thought of seeing him again so you rush outside and launch yourself in his arms, ignoring the ache in your legs. Strong, boney arms support you as you plant a kiss on his teeth, an undercurrent of energy vibrating under your skin.

“Get a room,” Daniel chuckles.

You stick your tongue out while Sans holds you close to him, teleporting you to your bedroom. Sans releases you, giving you a chance to pop your joints. The skeleton visibly cringes.

“So what are we going to do today? Grillbys? Movies? Romantic walk in the park?” you yawn.

“i was thinking more like making out til one of us falls asleep,” Sans throws you on your bed, climbing on top of you.

“I like that idea,” you giggle as he gently bites your neck then trailing his blue tongue over your jaw.

He presses his teeth against your lips then shifts his weight so he’s not crushing you. You kiss him back, your fingers curling into his while Sans moves back to your neck, his movements slowing and bones sinking into you. Suddenly he stops, his fingers still intertwined with yours.

“Uh, hun?” no reply, “Sans?”

You feel the rise and fall of his chest and chuckle softly. You didn’t think he was actually serious about the falling asleep part. A warm feeling spreads across your chest, your soul humming pleasantly as if it’s pleased to be this close to his soul. After checking to see if he’s really asleep, you allow a tiny spark of energy to dance happily around your fingers, careful not to shock your boyfriend, though, that would be kinda kinky. You let the sparks die and kiss your sleeping boyfriend one last time before embracing the darkness of slumber.

* * *

 

Sans slowly opens his eye sockets, confused by the soft matter beneath him. His vision start to focus and realize that it’s you. He always loved how soft you are, almost delicate, but judging by your scars, he knows you’re anything but. Sans lightly pokes your cheeks , amused by how you turn in that direction like a newborn baby. He slides off of you and teleports himself into the kitchen, grabbing a woven basket and stuffing it with ketchup and lollipops. He then throws in a blanket in since he knows how much you hate sitting on bare grass. Sans returns to your room and gently shakes you awake. You open your eyes, stretching before sitting up.

“Morning bone boy,” you rub the sleep out of your eyes, “What time is it?”

“only seven,” Sans replies.

“Where’s Papy?”

“with frisk and toriel,” Sans answers, “i wanna take you somewhere,”

You stand up and fix your hair, “Where are we going?”

Sans picks up the basket and holds you by the waist, “you’ll see.”

He teleports you into a wide clearing surrounded by thick oak trees, filled with red poppies reflecting the sunset. Their stems tickle his bones as the breeze ruffles through the flower field, a whispering melody sings through the trees. The meadow encompasses the night sky while the half moon showers the field in a soft silver light. The stars blink blindingly and scatter in every direction like the shimmers on the sea. The flowers seems to entrance you the most, the petals brushing against your skin.

“Sans… this is beautiful… where are we?” your voice snaps him out of his trance, but your eyes, full of wonder and amazement, puts him into another one.

“we’re on mt. ebott. i found this place shortly after leaving the underground,” Sans explains.

He pulls a blanket from the basket and sets it on the ground, inviting you to sit with him.

“So this is where you run off to,” you twiddle with a poppy in between your fingers.

“this place helps me think. it’s quiet and secluded,” Sans dumps the entire contents of the basket onto the blanket, ketchup and lollipops spilling everywhere.

You roll your eyes at his packing decisions but smiles anyway, unwrapping a lollipop and sticking it in your mouth. Sans tries very hard to quell the fierce desire inside him, raging to take you. Out of all the flavors, why did you have to decide blueberry to be your favorite? Anything would’ve been better; strawberry, cherry, orange… okay, not orange, that would be weird too.

“You’re staring,” you wave your hand in front of his face.

“i can’t admire my beautiful girlfriend?” Sans winks.

“Flattery will get you nowhere, bone boy,”

“aw come on sugar. that was a boneifide compliment,” you finally crack up, your laughter ringing in his head.

“But seriously, what’s going on in that skull of yours?” you continue to suck on the candy.

Sans doesn’t reply, but you wait for him to answer.

“i wanna try something,” Sans takes the candy from your hand and throws it on the ground like the trash it is.

He gently pushes you on your back, his hand lingering over your collarbone. He is about to ask if you are okay with this, but your confused, innocent expression stops him. He sighs.

“nevermind,”

You lay there silent while Sans stares at the half moon.

“Sans,” you call his name.

When he doesn’t respond, you  sit up and take his hand, placing it over your left boob, catching him off guard.

“D-Did you… want to touch me?” you ask, your breathing growing heavy and heart rate picking up.

Sans feels his whole body go into heat, his magic formed dick bulging from his shorts.

“Y-You c-can if you w-want,” your eyes darken and your voice shakes.

You press your lips against his teeth and parts his mouth with your tongue. Sans forms his own tongue for you and lets you take control while he focuses more on your breasts, pulling the collar down further til you’re exposed in your bra. Sans pulls back to admire the lingerie on you. You unclip your bra and toss it aside as Sans trails his fingers over your nipples then rubbing it, eliciting a startled gasp from you. You rest your head on his shoulders while he continues to play with your body. He could feel your heart beating faster and faster like the beat of a humming bird’s wings. Wait, no it’s too fast. He couldn’t see your face, but he looks at you for the first time, realizing how much you’re trembling and your quiet whines. He could practically feel the fear rolling off of you.  The skeleton stops immediately and turns away, giving you back your bra.

“Sans?” hurt and relief floods your quivering voice.

“sugar, i really want to do this with you, but you have to want it too,”

“I did-”

“giving me consent isn’t enough. you have to be ready. i want this to be good for the both of us. don’t just say yes for my sake,” Sans rubs the back of his skull.

“But-”

Sans turns around, pleased that you are fully clothed again and takes your hand into his, rubbing your palm with his thumb, “i’m not going anywhere. there’s no need to rush. take all the time you need.”

“You bonehead,” you mutter affectionately and kiss his forehead, “Thank you,”

“heh. just wanna make sure you have the breast time,”

You giggle at his pun and lay your head on his lap. Sans takes off his jacket and places it under your head to make it more comfortable. You smile at him and he smiles back, pushing your hair out of your eyes. The two of you lay there in silence, wishing that time would stop at this very moment.


	18. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You first encounter a load file and you tell Sans something important

“Poor kid,” you muttered to yourself as their stick laid in a pool of blood.

The Captain of the Royal Guard picked up the limp body, their arms swinging to their sides, her magic spears disappearing. The Captain held the body up in the air triumphantly as she beamed with blinding glory. The cyan waters rushed quietly as the the drips of the cavern walls trickles into the streams. You couldn’t watch when the Captain thrusted her spear into the child’s body, their blood pooling out of them much like yours had when Gaster attacked you. You screamed when they fell, a blank expression consuming their determined face as their soul shattered. You screamed and screamed until you exerted your magic and your emotions become numb.

The kid hadn’t done anything! They wouldn’t even hurt a fly! You’ve watched them spare every monster that attacked them, and even refusing to fight the Captain. They didn’t deserve to die. Every fiber in your being raged, cursing the goddam fish monster at the injustice. But you’re stuck there, unable truly give her what she deserves.  You sigh as the sparks of electricity returns to you. There’s nothing you could do now. What’s done is done. What’s left for you is going back to your eternal boredom. Time to go find Sans. He usually makes things better.

“HERE I COME! NGAHH!” Undyne’s booming voice echoes off the caverns

What?

You spun around, mouth gaping as the Captain hurls her spears at the human, the wind howling behind them. The same human in a striped shirt that just died a few seconds ago. The Warrior repeated her same monologue as before and continued her attack sequences, but the human dodged efficiently, anticipating the Captain’s attack as if they’ve already seen them. Your breathing became ragged as sparks fly nervously from your fingertips. What the hell is this? Could the human have… no they couldn’t. There’s no way they went **there** and came back, restarting time.

.

.

.

What the hell is going on?

* * *

 

The electrons roll of your arms like a tidal wave, the energy cracking from your fingers and shooting into the trunk of the tree, thunderous claps booming. Adrenaline pumps through your veins as you prepare another attack, incorporating the moves you learned from Undyne. You summon a machete, formed by your energy and solidify it, fighting off the sudden fatigue washing over you. Using the moves you’ve observed from Papyrus, you swing around the weapon, imagining targets in your path. You dance through the lightning striking around you, controlling the currents. You holler a battle cry as you penetrate your weapon into the earth, lighting electrifying the ground behind you.

You release a exhausted sigh and drop beneath the sunset poppies, curling within the soft soil while the petals tickles your cheeks. It feels great to release all your pent up magic building inside you. You no longer feel anxious and constantly exhausted from having to consciously hold back all the time. Now that you’ve released it, your soul feels light again, no longer needing to support the excess magic straining you. Everything is once again stabilized and in balance.

You hear a slight rustle of footsteps from the trees and immediately shot up, prepared to attack. A familiar blob of brown hair emerged from the trees, approaching apprehensively and clutching their chest protectively. You inhale a sharp breath as your fingers twitch nervously. A quiet voice whispers to you, telling you to run, but you ignore it, knowing that if they truly saw, you wouldn’t be able to run.

“H-Heya Frisk!” you don a fake smile, “What are you doing here?”

“Sans said that you would be here,” Frisk replies emotionlessly, nothing like their usual self.

You sigh and look away, “You saw didn’t you?”

The small human gives you a small nod and every part of you becomes numb. You gulped loudly and take a step toward the human, “Are you afraid of me Frisk? I’m not going to hurt you,”

Frisk leaps into your arms and nuzzles your chest, mumbling something that you couldn’t understand.

“What was that, sweetheart? I didn’t quite catch that,” you stroke their messy hair.

“I came here to tell you,” Frisk mumbles.

“Tell me what?” you ask, tilting your head in confusion.

Why aren’t they running from you? Why aren’t they questioning you?

“I saw you in the Underground. I know you were there,”

You push Frisk off of you, looking directly into their eyes and squeezing their shoulders tightly.

“Frisk, what are you talking about? Did you tell anyone?” you growl.

“___, you’re hurting me,” Frisk whimpered as they try to escape your grip.

You instantly let go of the child, face darkening from guilt. Your magic stirs in you, a bolt of electricity thunders in your soul, but you suppress it.

“S-Sorry,” you stammer, “Frisk, please explain,”

“I’ve never seen you before this...timeline,” Frisk tests, but when your eyes sparked with familiarity, they continued, “Chara did mention that someone was following us, but they never said anymore. I just assumed it was Sans,”

“Who’s Chara?” you ask, the name having a familiar ring to it.

“They were the Asgore’s and Toriel’s adopted human child before they died. When I fell, their spirit latched onto my soul and now we share the same body,” Frisk explains.

“Okay… save that story for another time,” you scratch your head, “But how could you have seen me?”

“I don’t know. I was visiting Waterfall and I saw you by that statute with the music, staring at it. I tried to talk to you, but you disappeared before I could,”

A million thoughts are running through your mind, but one stuck out the most. A question you’ve been meaning to have answered.

“Did you mess with the fun values before this run?” your voice dips into a serious tone.

“How do you even know about that?” Frisk’s voice rose, challenging you, eyes gleaming.

“You’re messing with the fourth wall kid. You should never mess with the fourth wall; bad things will leak into this world if you do. Terrible things that you don’t want to see,”

“I don’t understand…”

You sigh and place your hands your hips, giving the small child a soft smile, “I don’t mean to scare you kiddo. Just don’t do it again okay? I’m not mad either. Without you, I probably wouldn’t be alive right now,”

“Alive?” Frisk furrows their eyebrows.

The heating sun shows no mercy as it beats down your sweating neck.

“Because you messed with the codes, you weakened the link between the three realities. When the barrier broke, it sent out a strong pulse of magic throughout the realities and with my determination and excess magic, I was able to cross into the first reality again,”

“What? What are you talking about? What are the realities? How could you use magic?” Frisk rubs their head, frustrated by their confusion.

“Right...I should probably start from the beginning…” you tell Frisk your story, sparing them the gruesome details, but that doesn’t stop them from being horrified and upset by your torture.

By the time you are done, Frisk is hugging you tightly, stunned into silence, but still engulfing you in their love and determination.

“Please don’t tell anyone,” you plead, “Alphys already knows, but don’t tell the others,”

“I won’t,” they promised.

You smile and scoop them up playfully, smothering them in affectionate kisses. You walk the kid home as they return to their usual child self. Your soul pounds gleefully as you’re filled with so much love for the them. They’ve become like a sibling to you, filling the hole your sister left you. The two of you arrive at Toriel’s house and you watch them go inside before you leave. Instead of walking, you decide to take the bus home, saving your feet from unnecessary exercise. You throw your keys on the counter, greeting an empty living room. Strange. Sans should be home by now. You climb up the stairs and tap on his door lightly. You hear a hurried shuffle then a small grunt. Letting yourself in, you find  Sans on top of his bed, though his position looks uncomfortable and a piece of paper with Wingdings on it sticking out from his trash. You don’t comment on it.

“Hey boneboy. Grillby’s for dinner?” you ask.

“sure, sugar. anything you want,” Sans pats on his bed and you reluctantly join him, disgusted by his greasy sheets. Sans doesn’t seem to care.

“You should change your sheets,” you point out.

“later,” Sans places your head on his chest and you hear a familiar drum, peaking your curiosity.

You run your fingers under his shirt, searching for the source of the sound.

“looking for something?” Sans asks with one eye open.

“I could hear your soul beating,” you whisper, fascinated by his monster body.

“do you want to see it?”

You sit up, wide eyed, “huh?”

“my soul. i’ll show it to you,”

Sans sits up with you and place his skeletal hands where his heart should be, making tugging motion until a small upside down heart emerged. He cups it  gently and holds it out to you. You suck in your breath , shocked by how beautiful it is… how beautiful he is. The soul glows softly, a pale blue light surrounding it and a slash mark trails down the center, similar to the mark Frisk inflicted on him when they killed him.

“Oh Sans… it’s beautiful,” you feel your own soul beating rapidly, tugging at you, fighting to be released.

You hold back your soul. You can’t let him see just yet.

“i don’t want this to end,” Sans’s expression darkens as his pupils disappear, “i don’t know if i could do this again. i don’t know what i’ll do if i lose you. i don’t think i can handle another reset,”

You blink in surprise at the sudden mention of a reset, “Sans, I-”

“you probably won’t believe me,” Sans chuckles darkly, “no one would believe me. not that it would even matter. it’ll just reset anyway,”

“Sans, please calm down-”

Sans returns his soul to his body and paces around the room, pens and paper levitating, “what if i told you i’ve lived this? i’ve been through this countless times, seen them save everyone… seen them kill everyone. i’ve seen the exact same stars then the exact same walls. this is the first timeline where i’ve met you. what if this is the only one? what if i never see you again if they reset?”

A long pause suffocated the room, the only sound coming from Sans’s heavy breathing. You wait a few heartbeats to make sure Sans is finished. Your boyfriend stares at you, expecting you to laugh  or tell him he’s crazy. Instead, you sigh and run your fingers through your hair. Are you really doing this? It’s better if he hears it from you. You can’t hide a part of yourself from him any longer. Sans, of all people, deserves to know. You won’t run anymore. No more secrets.

“I know,”

The skeleton’s expression falls and twists into confusion, “you know?”

“I know all about the resets. The genocide and the pacifist runs. I know you’ve killed Frisk countless times, but they always come back. I know that they’ve killed Papyrus and everyone else. I know because I’ve seen it all,”

“how do you… who are you?”

“My name is ___. And I ki-”

Suddenly, the door breaks down and Undyne barges in with her full battle armor and a spear in hand, expression contorted into rage.

“Sans, we need your help. It’s an emergency,”

“What’s going on?” you ask, leaping off the bed prepared for action.

Sans will have to wait to find out then.

“Frisk is gone. They’ve been kidnapped,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter, yay! Sorry for leaving you on such a cliffhanger. (Not really). Reader's attack moves are inspired by electricity bending from Avatar the Last Airbender, which is a great show by the way, if you haven't seen it, go watch it. I could feel my writing skills diminishing for some reason ._. Isn't this suppose to make my skills better? I don't know, maybe I'm just getting tired. Let me know what you think in the comments below :) Happy Fourth of July everyone!
> 
>  
> 
> [ Come visit me! ](http://maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)


	19. Game Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone comes up with a plan to save Frisk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh one more chapter til I finish this arc! I'm so excited! It's 3 am here, and I'm tired so if I made any mistakes, please let me know so I could fix it. 
> 
>  
> 
> [ stop by and say hi ](http://maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

“Sans?” you cried out his name as his dust scattered in the Judgement Hall.

Your melancholy magic swirled around you , the light breaking through the golden windows. The last piece of your soul crumbled and you sink further into your despair. First Papyrus and now Sans? Your only friends… your only family… your only **hope**. But it’s okay right? Because they’ll ‘reset’. They’ll reset and you will get to see your beloved skeletons again.

The demon giggled and clutched their dust covered knife before moving onto the throne room.

Why? Why did they have to do this?! Everyone was happy! You were rooting for them, watching over them, pinning your hopes and dreams. They spared everyone… then they killed everyone… You watched as they slashed their way through the Underground, leaving behind a trail of dust in their wake. Your fingers itched to kill them; to strangle their tiny necks and force them to repent for their sins. They have to pay for hurting Papyrus. But that was Sans’s job. And look where it got him. A wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“I’m sorry Sans. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything,” tears flowed out of your eyes as you sobbed helplessly on the floor.

* * *

“How could they have been kidnapped?! I was just with them!” you exclaim from the backseat of Undyne’s car.

The fish monster speeds through the traffic, ignoring all traffic laws in order to to get to Toriel’s house as soon as possible. Sans’s glowing eye flickers harshly, moving all objects out of Undyne’s way with his magic.

“I don’t know. I just got the call and picked you guys up on the way. Asgore is assembling everyone at Toriel’s house,” the car pulls up into the driveway with a squeak.

The three of you hurry to the front door where RG01 and RG02 stand guard. They allow the two monsters inside, but cross their swords when you try to enter.

“Like, sorry, but no humans allowed,” RG01 states.

“Let her in, she’s with us,” Undyne commands.

“Sorry Captain. King’s like orders and stuff,” RG02  bounces nervously.

Your fingers twitch from irritation. You do not have time for this right now, “Look, I’m the one who saw your ambassador last. You’re going to want me in there,”

The two guards looks at each other then sheathed their weapons, allowing you to pass through. All the blood drains from your face as you take in the sight before you. Every piece of furniture is flipped over, the pillows shredded, and the stuffing scattering everywhere. Broken glass litters the floor as the bookshelf topples over a smashed house plant and shattered picture frames. Bullet holes blacken the walls, leaving a nasty scar behind, though no blood can be seen which you take as a good sign. A distraught Toriel laid weeping within the chaos, clutching a photograph of her and Frisk on a Saturday hike while Dogressa tries her best to console the goat mom.  Asgore coughs loudly to get everyone’s attention, the noise and chatter ceasing immediately.

“You all know why you are here,” Asgore begins, “The Royal Guard no long exists, but it’s only you I trust with this mission,”

Papyrus sprang into the living room, looking as if he was going to throw up, his skull drench with sweat and worry.

“Our ambassadors have been captured by humans, so-”

“How?!” you interrupt, “I was just with them! Frisk was with me at the flower fields and I dropped them off here an hour ago,”

“We believe that the attackers broke in through the window and waited til Frisk was home alone.  They knew that Toriel was out doing errands and chose this time to strike,” Asgore answers, “The kidnappers left a ransom note,”

The king pulls a piece of paper from his pocket and begins to read:

_Dear monsters,_

_We have your precious ambassador. If you want them back safe and alive, bring us the king and we shall trade. Be at Warehouse 12 by midnight or we will not hesitate to kill the child. Any interference from the police shall result in their immediate execution._

_-The Righteous._

Asgore crumples up the note and returns it to his pocket. You ball your hands into fists as fury consumes your soul. Your magic sparks erratically from within your soul and it takes all your willpower to hold back from releasing it.

“We have to come up with a plan to get Frisk back,” Asgore turns to you, “Human, you were the last to see them here. Did you notice anything odd or something that might be useful?”

You think back to earlier, searching your memories, for something, anything. But nothing came up. You solemnly shake your head.

“Why can’t we just charge in there and kick their butts?!” Undyne cracks her knuckles.

Asgore shakes his head, “The humans are most likely be prepared for a boss monster and others. They could bring a whole army. We don’t know how many of them are out there. I’ve already decided to make the trade. We just need to come up with something where Frisk comes home safely and no one gets hurt.”

“It’s a trap,” all eyes on you, “Think about it, why trade Frisk for Asgore? No offense, but Frisk is way more valuable than the king. Asgore may unite and bring hope amongst monsters, but Frisk unifies both species. Without them, humans would never learn how to accept monsters which is exactly what the Righteous wants. I think they are planning on killing everyone, that way, there will be discord in the monster community which causes them to lash out on the humans, creating another war. They can’t be dumb enough to have two of the most prominent members of monster and humans relations and just let one of them go,”

“She’s right. We need to something where both of you make it out alive,” Undyne says to Asgore, crossing her arms.

“I have an idea,” Toriel speaks up, “We should assemble a small team to go inside and negotiate. Maybe we could convince them to change their minds and settle this with peace. Everyone else hides outside just in case something goes awry. However, in the case where peace cannot be achieved, we shall make the trade, and once Frisk is safe, we should attack, but not kill them. I understand they will have weapons, but so shall we, including our magic. We will knock them out then leave as soon as possible. I do not usually condone violence, but it may be the only way,”

“That seems like a good plan Toriel, but there’s just one problem. Can someone bring me a map of the area please?” Alphys hands you a large map and a Sharpie, which you spread out on the floor so everyone could see, “See this? This is Warehouse 12. And these are the building surrounding it,”

You circle the buildings, the red ink bleeding through the paper, “They’re tall and most likely abandoned. Now we don’t know what kind of resources this gang has, but we have to assume that they will have men placed  inside these buildings with long ranged weapons ready to shoot,”

“So, you’re saying we will need a team to knock these guys out?” Undyne flips her spears.

“not a team. me.” Sans says, “if one of us is caught, it’ll alert the others and the mission will be busted. i could sneak up from by teleporting,”

You frown at the suggestion, not enthused by the idea of Sans being part of the plan, but you know he could handle himself.

“Alright,” Asgore nods, “Our team on the inside shall be me, Undyne, Toriel, and Papyrus. We need to keep our group small enough to not alarm the group, but powerful enough to attack,”

“no,” Sans growls, his blue magic flaming. Everyone backs away, “my brother is going no where near that place,”

“BROTHER I WANT TO HELP! IF THEY REQUIRE MY ASSISTANCE, I SHALL LEND IT TO THEM!” Papyrus whines.

“Sans, I understand how important your brother is to you, but he’s our best chance for peace if possible,” Asgore says.

“i don’t care, find someone else,” Sans’s magic burns darker, cracking dangerously.

“I’ll do it,” you raise your hand and volunteer.

“no,” Sans tugs on your arms possessively.

“Yes,” you pull your arm back, shooting him a harsh glare.

“My child, you have already contributed so much, you don’t need to do this. We can’t guarantee your protection,” Toriel hides the pain of her loss in her eyes.

“I can protect myself. If there’s a small chance of peace, it is better of I, a human, negotiate with the Righteous.

“it’s too dangerous. i don’t want to lose you either,”

“I know,” you say gently, rubbing his palm with your thumb, “But I’m going. There’s nothing you, or anyone, could say to stop me. I’m done with sitting on the sidelines and not being able to do anything,”

“Then it’s settled,” Asgore recaps the plan for everyone, “The Canines shall wait outside the warehouse until further orders,”

Asgore dismisses everyone to prepare. Sans’s white orbs dims, almost disappearing, “there’s nothing i can do to change your mind?”

You shake your head.

“why must you be so fucking stubborn?”

Placing a light kiss on his teeth, you wrap your arms around your boyfriend, “I am determined to bring them back,”

“you humans and your determination,” Sans mutters, gently pushing you away, “i’m going to take a look around just in case we missed something,”

You nod and grab a broom from the closet to sweep up the broken glass.

Hours later, the sun sets and the moon rises, the crickets chirping along with the owls. Everyone awaits their orders while Undyne resumes her commanding position. You haven’t seen Sans around since this morning, making your heart clench with worry. You’re tempted to go look for him, but right now, your love life isn’t important. Alphys finds you on the repaired couch and hands you a small, black device.

“P-Put this in your ear a-and make sure it’s hidden,” Alphys  helps you hook up the device, attacking a tiny microphone under your collar, “This will allow you and S-Sans to communicate,”

“Thank you, Alphys,”

“Good luck out here. Me and Paps will be helping with the injuries,”

“Look out for him, Alph,”

“I will. ___… if it comes down to it, will you use your magic?”

“I don’t intend to,” you sigh.

Alphys nods then leaves you to help the other monsters. They all pack into their respective cars then soon arrive at the meeting spot a mile from the warehouse. The dogs assist each other on arranging their armor while Undyne kisses her wife passionately, her blue scales flushing red. A wave of relief washes over you when you see Sans approach you with his hands in his pocket and tiredness in his eyes.

“hey. alphys hooked you up yet?” Sans asks.

“Yeah. Be sure to tell me when you’re finished taking care of the snipers,”

“i will. i uh...have something for you,”

Sans pulls his hands out of his pocket, handing you a small black pistol. You flinch at the sight of it, a memory tugging your soul. The cold metal against your head. A child screaming. Glass breaking. The roar of blood.

“Where did you get this?”

“borrowed it from the police station. nobody even noticed,” the skeleton shrugs.

“Sans… are you sure?” your voice dips an octave lower.

“it’s for protection. i can’t have you going in there without some kind of defense,”

You take the gun, checking to see how many rounds it has then throwing the safety switch on before sliding it into your boots.

“Everyone to your positions!” Undyne commands.

“ready?” Sans squeezes your hand.

“Ready,” you crack your knuckles, “Let’s do this,”


	20. Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's go time
> 
> ***Warning***  
> This chapter contains themes of suicide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... this is the end of the first arc. To be honest, I didn't think I was going to make it this far. Thank you so much for sticking around this long and reading my fanfiction. It means so much more to me than you know. Working on this...has made me feel so happy, so dedicated, even with the frustration and the stress. It was all worth it. So thank you. 
> 
>  
> 
> [ Stop by for a visit ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

Undyne kicks open the door, charging in alone first, then motions the group to follow behind her. You step into the light, your shadow stretching far on the cement ground.  The door slams behind you, causing you to squeak and jump in surprise. Toriel furrows her brow, probably wondering if it was a good idea to bring you along. You take a deep breath and calm your nerves, your magic coiling around your soul. The hum of the lightbulb flickers overhead, every corner piled with empty boxes and dust. As you suspected, every window is left open, allowing the chilly air to flow in.

“How are you doing, Sans?” you mutter softly into your device.

“found a guy in the north building. i’m going to take him out,” Sans’s voice rings through the earpiece.

You and the monsters trepidly searched the warehouse, looking for any signs of Frisk. You keep your movements slow, but alert, debating on whether you should take out your gun. You decide not to since that could deliver the wrong message.

“Everybody put your hands up!”the door on the opposite side of the building swings open and a flood of armed, masked humans swarm in, surrounding your group on all sides with pointed weapons, Frisk nowhere in sight.

You instinctively throw your hands in the air, breathing hitching from fear. Your soul drums loudly as electricity shivers around your soul. More men flood in and you lose count of how many there are. 50? 60? Your eyes linger upward, noticing the cameras in each corner. Concentrating on the energy around them, you locate the stream of electricity powering the camera then curl your fingers, stopping all energy flow into the cameras.  

“Sans?” you whisper.

No answer.

“Check them,” a man in a hockey mask orders, who you assume in the leader.

Four men surround your group, patting down the monsters. One member of the Righteous pats your sides, lingering at your ass for too long. You snarl when he gives your ass a little squeeze, but he ignores you. You suck in a breath as he moves to your boots, your face falling when he tugs out your gun.

“Tsk tsk,” the man shakes his head and throws it in the direction of the leader, “Found something, boss,”

The hockey masked man just shrugs and kicks it aside. Luckily, the other members didn’t find any weapons on the monsters, probably because their weapons are magic based anyway. The leader clasps his hands.

“So I see you’ve held your end of the bargain,” the man says.

You put your hands down and step forward , asserting yourself as the representative of the group, “We did. Now where is Frisk?”

The leader nods his head to a member on his Frisk and soon enough, the kid stumbles ahead, slumping within the grasp of the leader’s hands. Your magic instantly spikes at the condition they are in. Their right eye is swollen shut while their lip is painfully split open.  Dried blood cakes their temples as their clothes lay torn and battered. They hang their hang, unconscious and you notice a bump the size of a golf ball forming on their head; dark bruises littering their skin like constellations.

“My child!” Toriel gasps and sprints towards the injured human, but a gang member cocks his gun at her, prompting Undyne to hold Goat Mom back.

Your soul is inflamed by an antagonizing beast, gnashing from inside to be let out, heating your body in a protective roar of instinct. You ball your fist from a distinct memory as your vision twists into a golden haze. Strange static and clicking rings in your ears while your fingers twitch, barely containing the magic flowing. Counting backwards from ten, you calm yourself down to a rational level, though you are one crack away to laying waste to the villains who hurt your ~~sister~~ Frisk.

“What did you do to Frisk?” you keep your calm and even, but it’s clear that the Righteous see right through your bullshit.

Upon hearing their name, the kid’s head lulls up, shooting you a small and flirty grin with a few teeth missing.

“They wouldn’t stop flirting with my men. I had to shut them up somehow,” the leader shrugs.

“You fucking bastard! They’re just a kid!” Undyne screams.

“Can it, fish lady. Your king **killed** six of our children, what difference does it make if we beat around a little traitor?” the masked leader laughs, “Now enough of this. Hand over the king,”

Through the static, you hear Sans’s voice reassure you, “keep him talking, i’m almost done,”

You take a deep breath and clear your voice, “Can’t we settle this peacefully? Humans and monsters can learn to get along. We don’t need another war. With their technology and magic combined with our science, it will surely advance the medical and technological field for both species. So let Frisk go. Let them be with their family. Let Asgore lead his race,”

A short pause fills you with hope, but is squandered immediately as the Righteous  all simultaneously erupt into hysterical laughter.

“Team up with monsters? Yeah right!” a woman’s voice shouts in the back.

“I’d rather die than take medicine made by a monster!” a man’s voice replies.

The masked leader fires two warning shots in the air, attaining the room’s attention. Your magic hisses at the noise, sizzling beneath your clothes.

“Look kid. I don’t give a fuck about your pacifist goodie two shoes schlick. I’m just following my orders,” the leader growls.

“Please, I’m sure we could work this out diplomatically-” Toriel begs.

“Shut up you old hag. Give us the king now, or the kid gets it,” the leader throws Frisk on the ground, the savoir whimpering as the rough ground scrapes their hand.

The monsters look at you, waiting for your call. Sans still hasn’t confirmed if he took out all the shooters, and initiating the trade now could get everyone killed. But if you don’t act now, Frisk will die. You’re going to have to place your faith in Sans at this point. You know he won’t let you down.

“Frisk first,” a pointless request, but even buying a few seconds of time could help.

“No. At the same time,”

Static rings in your ear again and you hear Sans’s voice breathing heavily, though slightly strained, “okay, i got all of them. commence with the trade. i’ll join you in a sec.”

You nod at your monster group and Asgore steps forward, slowly making his way towards the opposite group, meeting Frisk halfway. The two held eye contact for a second, almost like a somber goodbye. Your hands shake in anticipation, counting the seconds til Frisk is tucked safely inside their mother’s white fur. The masked leader presses his gun against the king’s back, a smirk forming cruelly.

“Were you really that naive enough to think any of you were getting out of here alive?” the leader laughs, “Our boss says we aren’t suppose to hurt humans, but she said nothing about traitors!”

The leader of the Righteous pulls the trigger and all hell breaks loose.

Undyne pushes you behind her, blocking a rain of bullets with her magically summoned spear  and Toriel surrounds your group in wall of protective fire. You could hear the squeals of the bullets, but they aren’t strong enough to penetrate through the magic.

“Asgore!” Undyne cries.

“Dad will be fine!” Frisk yells over the roar of the flames, “How are we going to get out of here? They have men outside!”

“We are going to fight our way out!” Undyne huffs, “Where the hell is Sans!”

“A blue light flashes within your circle and Sans steps out, his eye glowing dangerously, “right here,”

“What’s the situation out there?!” you ask, your heart leaping in relief to see him.

“the dogs are taking care of the guys outside, but it’s not enough. it’s like they have an entire army,” Sans reports.

Judging by Sans’s heavy breaths and fluctuating magic, he can’t handle another teleport. Frisk seems to sense to this too and hides behind Toriel.

“any ideas, sugar?”

“I-I don’t know- I-” you stammer, panic clouding any rational thoughts.

“Toriel you are on defense. Protect Frisk and ___ at all costs. Sans, if you’re as good as your brother, you’re with me. We are going to clear a path for Toriel and the humans,” Undyne commands.

“I’m staying with you. You’re going to need someone to cover your backs,” you say, determined.

“this is not the time for you to be the hero,” Sans hisses, “it’s way too dangerous and i will not have you out here,”

“I can do this! You only have 1 HP, you could die!”

“so could you. sorry sugar, you’re staying with tori.”

Your fingers twitch in frustration, panic and fear clouding your head. But only one thought, one drive is clear, which is the only thing you cling onto in the chaos. Protect the ones you love, and right now, Sans is standing in your way.

“Sans, if you die here, you’re leaving Papyrus alone. I’m not afraid of death, so let me protect you so you could protect your brother,” you play your trump card.

Sans’s white orbs flicker , a raging conflict roaring inside him. You know the skeleton too well. You know he would choose his brother over anything, including you. You relish in the fact that you would do the same.

“fine,”

Undyne raises a brow at you, impressed or annoyed, you can’t tell, but you don’t dwell on it. You have a war to fight.

“Shh listen. There’s not that many bullets, which means they are out of ammo or they are reloading.  This is our chance. We have to go now,” you cough from the rising smoke.

Undyne nods, “On the count of three. One...two...three!”

Toriel dissipates her wall of fire, throwing back some attackers a few feet, giving you time to dodge the oncoming bullets and grab your gun. King Asgore swings his scarlet trident, blood oozing from his chest, but doesn’t seem too injured.The fish warrior hurls a spear at the masked leader, knocking him out, his heavy body falling with a loud thud. This only proved to make things worse; in an act of loyalty and vengeance, for their leader, the gang’s attacks become more vicious and aggressive. You immediately rush to Sans’s side, but a bullet zips past your arm, grazing your skin. You yelp in surprise, but you ignore it overall. You don’t register your finger pulling the trigger, the bullet going straight through the attacker’s knee as her high pitched screams echoed throughout the warehouse. You keep dodging and ducking from the shots, but fending off the physical aggressors proved to be harder. A man takes a swing  at you, hitting you straight in your stomach, but your body automatically prepares his next attack, grabbing his arms behind his back and breaking them, the crunch of his bones cracking satisfies you immensely. Too many sounds, too many screams, too many people; you lose all rationality in the insanity. But you forget all of that and follow your guts. Protect. Sans summons a wave of bones behind him, knocking the attackers off in a frenzy, giving Frisk and Toriel a way out. Asgore follows, shielding the two from injury. You and the two other monster closely stay behind the royal family, giving them whatever cover they need. Undyne pushes you out of the way from a knife attack, stabbing her spear right into his pelvis. You thank the warrior, then jump in front of her, shooting another enemy from throwing her knife at your friend.  A gang member charges at you, but you take aim and pull. The trigger clicks, but no bullet fires. The attacker takes advantage of your momentary confusion and tackles you to the ground, wasting no time to aim his gun at your forehead as a sinister smile spreads across his masked face. Your eyes widen with fear as every knot in you unravels, fingers sparking brightly as a thunderous boom claps overhead. He pulls the trigger in slow motion and every instinct, every wish, every dream you held onto burst in your vision like fireworks.

Kill him, or he will kill you. In this world it’s kill or be killed.

Hello old friends, it’s nice to hear you again.

Protect. Protect yourself.

The bolt of lightning comes down in a roaring hiss, electrocuting your attacker in a fury, his screams will forever haunt your nightmares. His body convulses under the electricity, turning into a scorched black corpse as his mouth hangs open dumbly and his eyes rolls to the back of his head. The stench of his burnt body, sweet and bubbling, fills you with justice. The warehouse goes silent, every mouth agape, eyes fixed on you. You look down and realize your hands are still glowing, sparks shooting out randomly.

“___?” Sans calls to you, his magic flaming fiercely like yours, understanding spreads across his expression.

Your breath is caught in your lungs as the world spins around you, a clicking noise irritating you at the back of your head. You look at the stunned faces, unsure what to do or what to say, your hazy mind clearing up again. From the window, the morning sun rises as the rays illuminate the warehouse, shining a light on the dead body. Gee thanks for that. Now that your mind is clear, you gasp at yourself, horrified at what you have done. Shit, you’ve really messed up. You’ve exposed yourself to everyone, including the humans! The humans… oh fuck, they know. They know and they are going to take you away and they’ll cut you open and they’ll….no. No. No. No. Not again. Never again. Never again.

More sparks fly out of your palms, making your final decision. Locating every human in the room, your wrap the energy around them together and as a single tear falls from your eyes, you pull on the energy, impaling every human straight through their souls and body with golden spikes. Blood bursts from their gaping holes as you retract your magic, showering the floor in a crimson lake.

“___! How could you?!” a horrified scream rips from Frisk’s throat.

Everything is laying on you at once, suffocating you as the lines between memories and reality blur together. Gaster cuts a fine incision inside your heart, snipping at your arteries while your sister braids your fine hair. Sans kisses your tear stained cheeks, caressing you softly when Gaster pulls the needle through the cut.

“I love you, Sis!” your sister smiles and the weight of the world crushes you.

* * *

When you’ve finally come to, you hand grabs a fistfull of blanket, the birds singing in the background. Your head throbs mercilessly and as you try to remember the recent events, white flashes burst in your vision, an agonizing pain burning your eyes. Dog monsters scatter around, licking each other’s wounds, but none of your friends are in sight.

“Sans?” you call out to your skeleton, your throat thick and scratchy.

You call out to him again, but this time, Alphys comes to your aid, helping you sit up on the stretcher, but doesn’t meet your eyes.

“H-How are you, uhm, feeling?” she asks, careful to move all medical equipment away from you.

“Really shitty,” you rub the arm where the bullet grazed you, only to find it bandaged.

“Do you r-remember what happened?” Alphys asks softly, speaking to you like you are a delicate ornament about to break.

“I know what happened, I know what I… did. But every time I think about it, my head hurts,” you groan from the soreness.

“T-That’s a, uh, defense mechanism,” Alphys explains, then goes quiet, barely looking at you in the eye, “Why did you do it?”

You hang your head low, not a drop of magic stirring, “T-They were going to hurt me. They were going to t-take m-me away and c-cut m-me open. I can’t go back there Alph, I c-can’t. Oh god I-”

“Okay, okay. Deep breaths. No one is going to hurt you here okay? You’re safe,” Alphys rests her claws on your shoulders.

“Where’s Sans? I need Sans,” you cry.

“He’s with F-Frisk right now.  They’re not in a good place,” Alphys says sadly.

“Oh my god… they saw all that. I have to go apologize, I have to go talk to them,”

Alphys stops you, “Frisk… doesn’t want to see you at the moment… “

You feel like you just swallowed a roll of pennies, but you slowly nod your head.

“I’ll go get Sans for you,” Alphys smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.

You carefully jump off the stretcher, the gravel crunching underneath your boots. The warehouse is still in sight, but is far enough where it becomes a distant memory. The dogs rummage through the parking lot, rejoicing at each other’s lives as the sun hides behind the thick grey clouds in the chilly morning.  Sans finds you kicking the rubble, his expression unreadable.

“Hey,” you greet hoarsely.

“heya,”

The two of you say nothing for a few minutes, the straining silence stabs at your heart while you think of what to say.

“so are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“I don’t know where to start,” you rub your temples with your hands, longing for his touch.

Sans looks at you expectantly and you sigh. There’s no running now. You start from the beginning, from your fall, to what you did to Gaster, to spectating the Underground. He remains emotionless and still like a statue by the time you finish.

“So that’s what happened,” you conclude.

“you killed my father,” Sans whispers.

“I know. And I’m sorr-”

“you didn’t just kill him, you erased him from existence! it was because of you i

thought i was going crazy! do you know what it feels like, to remember someone no one else does to the point you’re questioning whether or not you just made it up?! everything we worked on, everything we built, just gone!”

“Sans-”

“shut up!” the skeleton summons a gaster blaster fully charges and fires straight at you.

You instantly make a shield, turning your head away from the blast. The force of the attack never comes. Instead, the ground beside you is charred black, still sizzling as smoke rises. You look up at Sans, eyes watering, the sting of betrayal and hurt coursing through you. Through your tears you could make out his empty, loveless black sockets, burning through your soul.

“S-Sans?”

“get out,”

“I’m-”

“ **g e t o u t o f m y f u c k i n g l i f e,** ”

His words punctures your lungs and you don’t breathe. Every emotion leaves you, draining you, until you are nothing but an empty shell filled with LOVE. You are nothing now, only a doll whose soul is extinguished like a candle. You did it. You fulfilled Gaster’s life purposed for you. To destroy.

“Ok,” you barely managed to make out a whisper.

So you walked. You kept walking with no destination in mind, but you just keep walking. You’re an empty, emotionless wind up toy whose only instruction is to keep walking. You don’t remember how you got to the bridge. You don’t remember getting on it, staring at the rushing cold waters underneath. You have nothing now. Nobody loves you. Everybody hates you.  You don’t have a home or a family. You don’t have anyone. You’re all alone.

Hot tears stream down your face as the rain splashes on your hand.

There is no reason for your existence anymore.

Another droplet streams down your nose.

What’s the point?

The rain grows heavier, coating you with their coldness and snapping you out of your unthinking haze. What the hell were you just about to do? You don’t want this, you don’t want to die. You fall back onto the ground, clutching your soul and sobbing loudly. If you died, you would never be able to feel the rain lick your cold skin again. To feel a knife drag across your palm. To have people see you, hear you, feel you. You don’t go back to that eternal darkness and numbness. This life is what you have been fighting for. You cannot, will not, throw everything you have built within yourself away. So you pick yourself up, dry your tears, and continue forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gahh I'm not good at writing action scenes, but I tried my best. So what did you guys think? This is not the end, I am currently working on arc two, though I don't know when it will be out. With that said, I'm taking a short break mostly to relax since this has really worn me out. I will also spend the time drawing up plans for the new arc though I already know what I want to happen. I HIGHLY encourage you to ask me questions because I will give out hints on what's coming up and I like interacting with you guys. Anyway, take care. I love you all. I'll see you with a new chapter soon.


	21. Righteous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a sneak peak at what's coming up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you the overwhelming amazing reviews last chapter, it really motivated me to write this preview. I feel so bad for leaving you guys hanging so I wanted to relieve you pain a little. Let me know what you guys think!

The lightning cracks open the sky as the storm rages on, the flashes lingering outside his windows. Daniel mindlessly flips through the channel, settling for some old soap opera, their voices muffled together, while nursing his half empty bottle. His body is slumped on the leather couch, pale skin sticking onto his seat despite the cold. Too cold. When will this storm end? Daniel takes another swing of his bottle, his eyes glancing at the photo of his mother, smiling with him in her arm like nothing could tear them apart. He knocks the picture frame down and gulp the burning liquid, feeling every drop slide down his throat. Daniel inhales deeply as another lightning strikes near his garden gnomes. Mother Nature better not touch his goddam gnomes. The program continues on, distracting him from his thoughts.

A sudden bang on the door startles him, then he rolls his eyes in annoyance. Who the hell would be out in this storm? With a heavy grunt, Daniels pulls himself out o f the couch and makes his way towards the front  door, his robes swaying past his knees. The door continues to bang urgently, annoying him further. He slowly creaks the door open, gasping as you stand in the pouring rain, drenched from head to toe, eyes straining red. You tuck your hands underneath your arms for warmth, only making you appear more vulnerable

“___? What are you doing here?!” Daniel exclaims.

“I-I don’t have anywhere else to go… “ you sob then sneeze loudly.

Daniel doesn’t hesitate, “Come inside, I’ll make you a cup of hot chocolate,”

You nod, sniffling as you step inside the cold house, but Daniel runs upstairs and

brings you back a towel, wrapping it around your shivering body. You hiccup your words, unable to form coherent sentences as your sobs grows loudly. Daniel doesn’t understand why you keep apologizing, but nothing he can say or do would make you feel better. So instead, he lets you cry until you fall asleep on his couch. Slowly, the rain becomes lighter.

* * *

 

Chief Agnes watched the droplets of water stream down her full window, almost like a river, her hands behind her back. Lightning cracks, illuminating her grey office with a golden light.  The doors swings open as light footsteps clicks towards her desk. The Chief doesn’t bother turning around.

“Madam. I came to give you a report on the recent mission,” a light feminine voice says.

Agnes nods at her to continue.

“All the men we sent are dead. The ambassador and the king are still alive,” the Commander’s voice remains emotionless.

The Chief stares at her aging reflection, her hardened eyes deepening her wrinkles.

“Where are the bodies?”

“Gone,”

“And the video footage?”

“It was cut off and destroyed before anything happened,”

“Was there any evidence that even a single monster was there? Anything we can use?”

“No ma'am,” the Commander’s emotionless facade quivers, “They covered their tracks well. We have nothing on them,”

The silence in the room is thickening.

“Leave me,” the Chief orders.

The door closes tightly and the roar of the rain drones on.

“Would it work?” Agnes asks into the nothingness.

Static. A click.

“I will not settle for second best,” Agnes argues.

Click. Click. Static.

“But-”

Static.

The Chief sighs, “I understand,”

Silence.

Running her fingers through her hair, the Chief turns around, calling for her right hand man. The Commander obeys, awaiting her orders.

“Summon the generals, Lily. We have work to do,”


	22. Existence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tw: existential crises and child abuse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's late, I'm tired, so there might be some mistakes. 
> 
> SO I'M BACK GUYS WITH ANOTHER CHAPTER HOORAY!

You hold up the two boxes of pasta, contemplating on the angel hair or the regular spaghetti. You shrug and toss the angel hair into the cart and grab some fresh tomatoes and spices. Angel hair was always his favorite anyway. Wheeling the cart through the barren grocery store, you pass by the condiment aisle, your expression darkening as shocks of tremors ripple throughout your heart. Electricity fizzes loudly in your hands and you let out a startled gasp, unaware that you let go of your control. Releasing the handle on the cart, you count backwards from ten, but when you reached one, your magic doesn’t settle down, panicking you further, only for more sparks to dance around your fingers.  You check around you to make sure no one is looking and disable the security cameras, rushing to hide in the restroom. You quickly lock the door behind you, the lights flickering from your sudden burst of magic. Tentacles of energy swirl around you, attacking the tiled walls, their cracks extending to the ceiling. You try to find something to grip onto inside you, something to take back control, but as your desperation grows, so does your magic. Instead, you close your eyes and remember the swaying petals of the poppy fields, the sour flavors of blueberries, and the radiance of your sister’s smile. Your magic calms down, but an undercurrent of energy vibrates underneath your skin; nothing you can’t handle. You sigh and twist the facet with a slow creak, splashing the running water on your face, cooling off your rising body temperature.

Ever since that day, your grip on your magic has slowly been decreasing, where even the slightest trigger sends your magic haywire. It’s gotten to the point where you debate on even leaving your room, afraid to be exposed in public. You definitely don’t want a repeat of last time. You splash more water on your face, this time, slapping your cheeks hard in anger. You allowed Sans to become too big in your life, too much of a necessity. He was your anchor, your control. When you were with him, everything just seemed to melt away in tranquility and harmony. But now? You can’t even go to the supermarket without spiraling out of control.

You dry your face and head to the checkout, eager to get home as soon as possible. You slam the door behind you and set the groceries on the counter, grateful that Daniel is still in class. Rolling up your sleeves and tying your apron around your waist, you add the pasta to the boiling water and prepare the sauce, adding in some salt and pepper for flavor. You could almost hear Papyrus praising you for your skills. You smile at the thought , but your heart clenches in longing as your magic buzzes under your fingertips. You push away your happy memories of the skeleton aside and focus on garnishing your dish instead.  

The keys jingle in the distance and the front door swings open as the soft footsteps of your housemate enters the living room.

“Honey, I’m home!” Daniel’s voice calls out.

You greet him with a smile and help him take off his jacket, “Hello, dear, how was work?”

“Wonderful! The boss gave me a raise today because of my endless efforts,” he gives you an affectionate peck on the cheek, “Is that spaghetti I smell?”

“Of course!” you giggle, “Have a seat, dinner is just about ready,”

Daniel pulls out a chair as you set the plate in front of him, “Say, where’s that son of mine?”

“Oh! Little Tommy is playing next door. He should be home any minute now,” you couldn’t contain your snicker and throw your head in laughter, Daniel soon joining you, “Thanks Dan, I needed that.”

Your housemate smiles and stabs his spaghetti, twirling the pasta with his fork. You reach into your pocket and unfold the paper, slowly sliding it to your friend, “So there’s this place… “

Daniel growls your name deeply.

“Oh come on, Daniel,” you whine, “It’s affordable with the amount of money you pay me and I’d be out of your hair in no time.”

“I don’t care, I just-” Daniel takes a deep breath, “I worry about you. Just a few weeks ago, you tried to kill yourself. Do you see why I’m reluctant to leave you out of my sight? I have a hard time leaving you alone already.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” you snarl, squeezing your fork.

Daniel throws his hands in the air, keeping his composure, “No need to get feisty here. The fact is, you need me and I need you,” he pauses, “But if you really want to leave, then I won’t stop you. It’s your choice.”

“Fine. I’ll stay,” you huff.

Daniel’s face falls, frustration tinting his brown eyes, but his patience outweighs it. He lightly taps the wooden table, a habit you notice he does when he’s deep in thought. You furrow your brow in confusion. Had you done something wrong? Maybe he really does want you to leave, but is too polite to say it. You knew it. You really are a burden who just intrude into people’s lives and mess it up. You just can’t accept the fact that you’re not wanted, not needed. You hide your shaking hands under the table, pushing down all your emotions til you can’t feel your own soul beating.

“Hey look at me,” Daniel lightly taps on your hand, pulling you out of your own thoughts, “It’s true that I want you to stay, but don’t do it for my sake. Do it for yours. You can’t keep living for other people,”

“I-I don’t understand”

“What do you want to do, ___? Base your decision off your needs, not mine,” Daniel patiently explains.

You silently fiddle with your fork, debating your answer. Rationally, it’s better to stay, you’ll save money and have someone to be with. You remember how lonely it was a few months ago when you lived alone. You smile, “I want to stay. I like living here,”

“Okay,” Daniel nods, “What else?”

You tilt your head.

“You don’t plan on working at the bookstore forever do you? What do you want to do with your life?” Daniel asks seriously.

The weight of the question bounces around your head, decomposing your very values. Suddenly you realize you could do anything you want, all doors are open for you and with enough hard work and determination, you can be whatever you want to be. You have nothing, no one, to hold you back or tie you down. No obligations, no responsibilities, nothing. And that scares the hell out of you.

“I-I don’t know. I never had a chance to figure who I am or what I want. I always tended to others and never really made choices for myself,” realization struck you.

“That’s not true,” Daniel takes away your plates and leads you to the couch, “You’ve made your own choices before, you just gotta think. Could you tell me those times?”

You rack your memories, searching, “When I decided to live?”

“Good, keep going,” Daniel encourages.

“When I moved in with the skeleton brothers, when I asked Sans to kiss me, when I-” jumped into the underground, you wanted to say.

Sensing your uneasiness, Daniel stops you, “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me about the last part if you don’t want to.”

You nod, shivering, feeling too exposed, too raw. Grabbing a pillow beside you, you hug it tightly, the static of your magic creeping up your skin.

“Why don’t we watch a movie?” Daniel suggests to lighten the mood, “Harry Potter maybe?”

You blink, excitement distracting you, “Harry Potter has a movie?!”

Your housemate looks at you in disbelief, “It has eight. Have you been living under a rock this whole time?”

You laugh a little too loudly, tears forming in your eyes as you rest your head on his shoulder, nuzzling him affectionately, “Something like that.”

* * *

CRACK! The glass jewelry box shattered into a million pieces, scattering everywhere on the stained carpet, some shards cutting your skin. The cut wasn’t very deep, but you were more fascinated by the crimson liquid rolling down your legs and dripping onto the ground. You crotched down, the glass scraping your hands but the pain only made you more curious. You marveled at how such a tiny little thing like a glass shard could inflict so much pain. You wondered about the liquid spilling out of you, what it is, what it’s for. Taking a droplet in between your fingers and rubbing them together; you were amazed by how it turned your skin pink. You giggled, believing that with enough of this liquid dosed all over your body, you could become a pink fairy just like in your stories. You grabbed another shard of glass and placed it on your arm, prepared to drag it across your skin, but the door swings open as your mother’s voice calls your name.

“Baby? Where are you? Are you hiding from me again?” your mother giggled.

“Mama!” you sung when she entered your shared bedroom.

Your mother screamed and rushed over to her broken jewelry box, cradling her necklaces and earrings like a broken body. She clears away the glass, careful not to hurt herself  and gently strokes her jewelry box in despair. Your mother looks over to you and you give her a bright smile. Realizing that you were the cause of the accident, her lips curled up into a snarl and her eyes flashed furiously.

“You wretched child, Why did you do this?!” your mother grabbed you by the hair and slammed you into the wall, your head producing an audible thud.

“Mama!” you screamed as blood blood dripped from your nose.

She threw you on the ground and kick your stomach hard; you groan from the impact, your lunch coming up, “Do you enjoy ruining my life? Do you enjoy ruining everything I love?”

You yelped as your mother twists your arm behind your back.

“Your father gave me that box and you just had to destroy that too, didn’t you?” another kick.

You didn’t understand what your mother’s words meant, but you continued to wail, begging her to stop. You didn’t understand what you did wrong, all you wanted to do was be pretty like her. It was your fault, you knew, but you couldn’t understand why.

“You like pain so much? I’ll show you pain!”

Your mother grabbed a glass shard and dragged it across your bare back, the skin ripping under the edge as blood seeps through. You had no way to express, your regret, your failures. All you wanted to do was show how remorseful you were, how much sorrow seeing your mother act this way brings you. There was nothing you could do except taking it, retribution for your crimes.  You hoped it would end soon.

Hours later, you sat on the bed, unmoving, in the darkened room. Your stomach growled at the amazing smell of fried chicken, but you remained still, not daring to move. The glass has long been cleaned up, but your wounds were still open and fresh, seeping you in and out of consciousness. Suddenly, the door crept open, the light shadowing your mother’s figure. She didn’t say anything as she lifted you up  and carried you to the bathroom, turning on the squeaky facet. You didn’t dare speak a word, afraid of messing up again. She let the water run for a few seconds, waiting to achieve the perfect temperature. She helped you take off your clothes and placed you in the warm water, massaging your tissues with the body soaps, careful not to press too hard on the bruises. Your mother dried you off with a warm towel and carried you back into the bedroom, holding you close to her.

“I love you, my angel,” your mother whispered faintly.

“I love you too, Mama,” you whispered back, falling asleep to the beat of her heart.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been waiting 22 chapters to make that "living under a rock" joke


	23. Hollow Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans needs to chill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \---IMPORTANT UPDATE---  
> If some of you haven't noticed, but recently, my chapters have been coming out slower and slower, even for short chapters like this one. I'm afraid to say, that I'm no longer going to post two chapters a week. Instead, it'll be one chapter per week, though the days will be random. I'm really sorry to do this, but between work and a social life, I don't have the time to work on this as much as I use to. I hope you guys understand, I love you all.  
> \-------  
> As always, I'm not perfect and it's really late right now, so if I made any mistakes, please let me know so I could fix them. 
> 
> I'm considering starting another fic, purely for smut and very little plot (the very opposite of this one haha) just for fun. It will not take priority over this one and probably would not be updated often, but it's an idea that's been bouncing around my head for a while. What do you guys think? Would you read a pwp fic?
> 
>  
> 
> [ Stop by and say hi ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

Sans sinks into the green couch, his bones popping painfully as his moods sours. Papyrus shuffles in and out of each room , checking to see if everything is in order before the brothers leave for the castle, though he refuses to go into your room. You never even bothered to to clean out your shit, creating more work for him and his brother. They grey March skies looms above, almost creating an overcast, somehow irritating him further. Sans never realized how devoid of life and color his living room is. You always brought light into the house, whether it was your smile or your playfulness, it didn’t matter, you were like the skeleton’s personal star. That is, until you showed your true self, a merciless black hole.  

“BROTHER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING LOUNGING AROUND? WE HAVE A MEETING AT KING ASGORE’S CASTLE!” Papyrus scolds. 

“go on without me, bro. i’m much more useful here,” Sans stretches. 

“THIS WOULD BE THE THIRD MEETING YOU SKIPPED! WE STILL NEED TO FIGURE OUT MATTERS WITH THAT MEAN HUMAN GROUP AND OUR HUMAN FRIEND!” the younger brother places his hands on his hip bones. 

“that human was not our friend,” Sans shot up, his tone emotionless, “she is a murderess who kept secrets and killed innocent people.”

Papyrus flinches, unused to having his brother snap at him like that. Sans immediately recoils, angry at himself for yelling at his brother and angry at you for being the cause of it. 

“I’M SURE SHE COULD BE A BETTER PERSON IF SHE TRIES!” Papyrus pauses, “AND I’M SURE SHE WAS TRYING!”

“that belief was what got him killed in the first place,” Sans thought to himself, then said out loud, “whatever you say, paps.”

“SANS I WILL BE VERY UPSET IF YOU DON’T COME!” Papyrus channels his puppy dog eyes. 

“fine, bro. only because you asked so nicely,” Sans gives in. 

The younger brother beams and twirls his brother in the air, before dragging him to the car. Papyrus turns on the engine and speeds off to the base of Mt. Ebott. Plastered all over buildings, signs offsensilvely hang in place, demanding the monsters return to where they came. The tall skeleton tries his best not to look at them. The brothers climb to the entrance where the barrier once stood, now protected by a thin layer of magic, designed to keep humans out without the permission of a monster.  The skeletons easily pass through, joining their circle of friends in the king’s war room. Everyone takes a seat within a circle, glancing at each other keenly. 

“Sans, how nice of you to finally join us,” Undyne says curtly. 

The shorter skeleton ignores the comment, not allowing her attitude to annoy him further today.  Toriel fiddles with Frisk’s buttons, loosening them for comfort while Asgore calls everyone’s attention. Alphys takes a seat next to her wife, looking troubled where not even Undyne could soothe her. 

“Let us cut to the chase,” Asgore’s voice booms, “Sans, were you aware of the human having magical abilities,”

“no,” Sans replies. 

“But she lived with you for three months. Surely you must have noticed something,” Asgore stated. 

“She kept a lot of skeletons in her closet,” Sans growls. 

“Now is not the time for joking,” the king glares, “We don’t know where she is and what she could be doing. I cannot allow a human mage to roam freely without any information on her. I don’t understand how she became so powerful; from my understanding, mages became extinct from their witch trials.” 

Alphys and Frisk shares a knowing look. Ah, so they were in on it too, and it seems like they are still protecting the lying bitch. 

“You talk about her like she is a criminal,” Toriel berates, “She saved our lives.” 

“and here i thought we were going to discuss the righteous issue, not my ex,” Sans interrupts coldy. Alphys gives him an odd look, but keeps quiet, “she doesn’t matter anymore. she’s gone from our lives. i doubt the human will be causing anymore trouble. the more pressing matter is the gang. they are still around and more determined than ever to drive us back underground.” 

“A human mage is a threat to our safety. They defeated us in the first war and buried us underground. If they did it once, they can do it again,” Asgore argues. 

“It took seven of them to erect a barrier, she’s only one and she’s been nothing but a friend to us,” Toriel says. 

“I’m sure, Tori. But once humans learn that they are able to use magic again, they’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Do you not remember the tragedy we suffered under their mercy? You of all people have to agree with me on this,”

“That’s why she killed them all!” Frisk yells, startling everyone, “I was mad at her at first, but I understand why she killed all those humans. She did it for us, even if I don’t agree with it,” 

“who fucking cares!” Sans snaps, unable to contain his annoyance any longer, “you people talk about her like she’s some kind of hero, but the bottom line is that she’s not. she murdered 50 people with the snap of her fingers, does that sound like a good person to you? she hid her magic from us, playing us like idiots and even leaving us with this whole mess-”

“ENOUGH!” Alphys pushes her chair back and slams her claws on the table, commanding the room’s attention. Everyone sits in silent shock, including her wife, though a glint of pride sparkles in her eye, “I-I will not tolerate l-listening to you talk about my friend like that! ___ left because  **you** told her to. You never cared if those human dies, that’s just an excuse to hate her isn’t it?” 

Sans’s eyes go black, his voice dipping lower in warning, “you better stop, alphys,”

The dinosaur ignores him, “This is about G-Gaster isn’t it? The Royal Scientist before me right? He deserved to be erased. He-”

Sans doesn’t let her finish; instead, he wraps his magic around her white soul and flings her to the wall behind her, but Alphys struggles defiantly.  The skeleton summons a ray of of bone attacks, directing it toward the scientist, hurling the projectiles, only to be blocked by Undyne’s spear. In a fit of protective rage, her eyes sparks dangerously like her glowing spear, and launches the weapon towards the short skeleton, but with a nasal shriek, Papyrus jumps in front of the attack, taking the damage for his 1 HP brother; his own HP dropping to a dangerous 10. The younger brother grunts in pain , falling over a chair and desperately trying to pull the weapon out of his soul, his HP going down lower. 

“paps!”  Sans rushes over to his brother, inspecting the damage. 

He allows Toriel to gently remove the spear and recover his HP with her magic, but the weapon still left a fine grey puncture, like a broken mirror. Fury courses through Sans’s soul like never before as Papyrus’s body flickers from him to a pile of dust and a red scaf. 

“ **i ‘ l l t u r n y o u  t  o d u s t** ,” the elder brother’s magic flares intensely, the burning rage summoning a gaster blaster. 

The attack charges in the weapon’s mouth while Undyne bravely prepares for the hit, her muscles tightening in defense and her spears gathering around her. 

“STOP IT!” a sudden burst of warm embers knocks the two monsters back, the gaster blaster disappearing from the distraction. 

Toriel’s flames swirls around her, keeping Sans and Undyne apart. Alphys slides up the wall, dusting her off and glares at Sans with disgust and disappointment, her glasses fractured, like spider webs.  She rushes to Undyne’s side, attempting to soothe her wrath, but the fish monster’s eye is still trained on Sans, anticipating another strike. Papyrus slowly brushes his brother’s hand hoping his presence would cool him off. The older skeleton welcomes his brother’s warmth, relaxing his bones, huffing from exhaustion as Frisk wiggles out of Asgore’s protection. 

“What is wrong with you guys?! The Righteous doesn’t need to tear monsters apart, you are already doing it to yourselves!” 

No one could meet the Ambassador’s eyes, shuffling away from the human child. 

“It seems we still much to discuss,” Asgore says, picking up a fallen chair, “Alphys, who is this Gaster you speak of? And what does he have to do with the mage?” 

Why is Sans even here right now? All they want to do is talk about you, but hearing your name sends him into an unfathomable rage he doesn’t want to deal with. Instead, he shoves his hands in his pockets and blinks out of existence and straight to Grillbys. The elemental greeted him warmly (heh), but Sans climbs on top of the barstool and rests his head on the sticky wood. Grillby places a shot glass in front of him which the skeleton gratefully accepts, and chugs it down in one gulp, tapping the rim of the glass twice. Grillby frowns in concern. 

“keep ‘em coming, grillz. and put it all on my tab,” Sans groans. 

The fire elemental silently complies, but secretly waters down his drinks anyway. Not that Sans cares, after the fourth shot, the skeleton is pleasantly drunk, a dull haze settling in his mind as the alcohol washes away the day’s troubles. 

“Are you going to be okay?” Grillby signs, adjusting his glasses. 

“heh. i’m a hot mess aren’t i?” Sans hiccups, “i could really feel the burn in this drink.”

The skeleton slams his shot glass down, chuckling a little too loudly to himself, then mutters under his breath so no one could hear, “what’s the point in anything?”

Sans keeps his head down, absorbing Grillby’s heat contemplating the moment his life went to shit. Was it when he promised to keep the kid alive? Was it the first the kid killed Papyrus? Or maybe it was Gaster’s disappearance, driving himself insane to search for someone that doesn’t exist. If he had to be honest with himself, he’d say he misses you and wish that you were still around to plant kisses on his cheeks and make everything better. How soft your fingers were curled around his hand, or how your eyes twinkled with happiness every time Papyrus cooked spaghetti. But then again, you ruined his life, so all those feelings disappeared in an instant.  The stool beside him creaks loudly as he feels another monster’s presence leaning in closer to him. 

“Hi, Sansy, long time no see,” a familiar voice greets him, sharp and feminine. 

The skeleton slowly lifts his head, registering the sparkling grey eyes and white fur, her pointy wolf ears perked up, “sup, alice.” 

The wolf monster scoots her chair closer, tail wagging excitedly as the scent of grass swirls around her, “I haven’t seen you since we got to the surface.” 

“been busy,” Sans shrugs. 

Alice chuckles, deep and sultry, trailing her paws up his thigh bone, her breath tingling on his neck, “I see. Well, it looks like you’re free tonight. Why don’t we...relive some old memories?”

Sans glances at her puffed up chest and her long eyelashes, beckoning him with arousal. The skeleton downs another shot glass, reaching the point of fuck it, and grabbing her hand. 

“your place,” Sans growls, deep with a need for release and teleports out of Grillbys, leaving a trail of memories behind. 

* * *

 

Alice drags the blanket over her naked body, whining in her deep sleep. She snuggles against Sans’s skeletal body, trying to rest her too large head on his rib cage and swinging her furry legs over his, heating his body in an uncomfortable sticky sweat. Sans grunts and rolls in the opposite direction, pushing him off her, but evidently hitting the ground with a loud thud. Alice snores away, like nothing happened. Sighing in frustration, the skeleton slips on his shorts and concentrates on his living room. The old green couch… the waft of tomatoes…  the light of your presence. His concentration snaps. No he can’t go home. You’re not there, yet you are. He can’t stand you anymore. He can’t stand the gaping hole you left him not the fact that he misses you like hell. He can’t stand the fact that of all the people in the world, it was you that erased his father. 

He doesn’t go home. Instead, Sans teleports to the one place that will always be there for him, the place that is his only refuge. He zaps himself into the small lab, his shoes squeaking against the blue tiled floor, heading toward the covered structure. Scratching the back of his head, Sans sighs and pulls the blanket off the machine, the dust settling on his shoulders and floating in the light. The oldest son inspects it, the machine towering high above him almost like it’s glaring at him. With all the determination in him, Sans grabs his tool box and starts working. 


	24. Charlie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get a cat and gain a new friend for life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter before the good stuff starts! If I made any mistakes, please tell me. I always update late at night so I'm really tired.
> 
> [ Come visit me ](maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

The icy wind brushes past you, your hair swaying from the breeze as goosebumps tingle on your skin. You pull your scarf to your nose, attempting to stay warm, but it doesn’t help. You are still cold. You will always be cold. Standing in front of the empty lot at the edge of town, not another person for miles, you remember the small house that once stood. A house of the bittersweet, where the sun shined its rays on her twinkling jade eyes and the harshest winters filled your soul with empty barrenness. The For Sale sign swings in the wind, its creaking mocking, vexing you to the point where you wrapped your golden energy around it and crushed it with your fists. You only wished that you could’ve burned down the house yourself, but at the same time, you knew that you would’ve done everything you can to save it. You kneel down and grab a handful of moist soil, watching the dirt slip through your fingers like a waterfall, your heart heavy and numb at the same time, a war between everything and nothing. Your hands tremble at the thought of how your sister must have suffered; how she burned to death, just like you, her ashes buried under the soil like yours. Forgotten. Alone. Nobody to come save her. But dead or alive, she still has you. You couldn’t save her life, but you can save her memory. You will not allow her to become nothing but a speck of dust in the scheme of the universe. No. You will remember her. For her.  

“Heya Sis. Can you hear me?” you call out to the void, “you know I’m not one to do this, but if there’s even the slightest chance you could hear me, I’ll take it,”

You smile softly and pull the basket of poppies you brought along closer to you.

“I couldn’t find your favorites, but I brought along mine, if that’s okay,” you grab a handful of flowers and begin to braid them, “I miss you Sis. I guess neither of us are good at staying alive huh?”

You pause, holding back your trembling tears.

“I’m so sorry. For not being able to protect you. For leaving you. For breaking my promise. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but even now, even after all that’s happened, I will still do anything for you. I understand the consequences of my selfishness now, but Daniel says that selflessness will ruin me as well. I don’t know what to do, Sis. I don’t know who I am and what I stand for, and it scares me.”

You choke back a sob as your soul drums heavily within you. Calling out your soul, the golden heart floats sadly in the palm of your hands; its glow almost non-existent and the grey cracks spreading wider. You allow the small heart to roam freely, but it does nothing but hover above you.

“A lot has changed. If someone told me that our lives would have ended up this way, I would have laughed in their face,” you continue to braid the flowers, “Do you want me to show you my magic?”

You wrap the energy around the flowers and continue to braid it mentally, “Cool, huh? That’s not all,”

Forming a mental picture of a puppy in your mind, you manipulate the energy to take shape, your hand glowing with a yellow hue. Thinking of your sister, the form grows stronger and more lifelike, with its wagging tail and perked ears. You twirl your fingers and the dog spins around happily, chasing its own tail. Giggling,  you made it do a backflip and it rolls over contently.

“I know you’re a dog person, but personally, I like cats better,” you sigh and lose your concentration, the magic formed puppy vanishing into smoke, “This power, it’s beautiful and terrifying, with the potential to kill. Is it wrong… that I love it? I could feel it coursing through my veins, keeping me alive, not to mention the adrenaline rush every time a spark flies out of my fingertips. Does this make me evil? What I did to those people…”

Agonizing white flashes burst in your head like fireworks as your vision darkens, unable to find a grip. Your breathing becomes shorter, and unfulfilled as the world spins around you. Your exposed soul sparks dangerous, electrocuting a poor bug flying too close to it. Counting backwards from ten, you do your best to steady your breathing.

  1. The endless sky above you.
  2. The moist soil
  3. The fresh smell of raindrops.



.

.

.

  1. Your dirty sneakers.
  2. The emptiness around you.
  3. Daniel’s warm cooking.



.

.

.

  1.  Sans’s stupid puns.



Reality returns to you and you wipe away your falling tears, “Nevermind. I’ll tell you some other time.”

Seeing the sun set, the blue skies looms high above, darkening to a pink glow. You lay the flower braid on the empty soil and stand up, dusting off the remaining dust off of your jeans.

“I’ll come by again, Sis,” picking up your bag, you turn away and head toward the falling sun.

“Mrow,” you whip around at the noise, gasping at the skinny black and white cat with a pink scar running down its nose and fur matted together. It watches you silently with its golden slits.

“Charlie?! You’re still wandering around after all these years?”  you exclaim and slowly approach the stray, extending your hand in an act of friendliness.

The cat hisses at you and you stop immediately, but made no effort to back off. The squatting position burns your thighs, but you endure it. Charlie cautiously inch closer to your hand, sniffing it and once he realizes that you are not a threat, he nuzzles his head in your palm, allowing you to pet him gently. You take this chance and scoop him up just like you did as a kid, but the stray cat howls and hisses at you , scratching your arm and neck in protest, struggling in your grip. You mercilessly drop the cat, yelping in pain as a beads of blood roll down your skin.

Charlie grooms his paws as if you have the plague.

“Alright, your majesty. I’m going home. Come with me or not, I don’t care,” you heel turn and continue to walk down the lonely road with a set of padded trots trailing behind you.

Jingling your keys into the lock, the turn the doorknob and step inside, only to be greeted with laughter and wine. Daniel glances at you in complete panic while his familiar looking companion blushes wildly, shrinking into the couch.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude!” you apologize.

“Uh no need. Uhm. Jack this is ___, my roomate. Roommate, this my Jack, my lab partner,” Daniel introduces.

Ah, you remember the familiar face now. The ruffled brown hair and the big glasses, he was the the customer that left your boss completely flustered!

“It’s nice to meet you, Jack,” you smile innocently.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Jack waves shyly, “I should probably get home now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jack gathers his textbooks and you step aside so he could get through the door. Once he is safely out of range, you wiggle your eyebrows at your housemate.

“Don’t say a word,” Daniel growls.

“Come on, Danny. That was totally a date,” you wink.

You roommate sighs, “Why do I put up with you?”

“Because you love me,” you giggle cheerfully, “And because you love me, you’ll let me keep him, right?”

Charlie reveals himself behind your legs and tilts his head at the new stranger, clearly unimpressed, and fluff his tail in dominance.

“What the fuck is that?!” Daniel jumps at the creature, running behind the leather couch.

“He’s a cat, silly,” you bend down to stroke Charlie’s back.

“No,” Daniel says firmly, “We are not taking in a stray,”

“He’s not a stray, he’s an old family friend,” you pout, “Please, Daniel, pleeease?”

“You know I don’t like cats!” Daniel doesn’t give into your charms but you don’t give up.

“I’ll take care of him! Clean out his litter, buy him food, all that stuff!” you press.

“No means no,”

“Daaann,” you give him the best puppy dog eyes you can muster. It’s not very effective. Instead, you pinpoint his weak spot, smiling slyly, “I’ll stop teasing you about Jack.  
Your friend doesn’t meet your eyes; you could see his resolve crumbling, “No,”

“I’ll even do everything to get you guys together,” you sing cunningly.

“Ok fine! You can keep him! Just make sure it stays away from me and hold on to your end of the bargain,” Daniel throws his hands up in the air.

“Yes! Thank you!” you peck him on the cheek and lead Charlie to your room, pausing on the stairway, smiling in gratitude, “Love you Dan.”

Daniel scratches the back of his head, “Love you too kiddo,”

* * *

 

“Please take me back, Princess!” the prince begged on his knees for his one true love.

“No… I don’t… love you!” the princess fans herself with her handkerchief.

“But,” the forlorning prince dramatically fell to the ground, tears spilling out of his blue eyes, “I love you!”

The front door slammed open and you dropped your dolls, scurrying to your

mother’s side.

“Mommy! Do-” you stopped abruptly, barely recognizing the woman before you.

In just one day, your mother’s figure changed drastically. Though she is still large, her belly size had gotten smaller and the bags under her eyes were more swollen and deep, every strand of her sticking out of place. In her arms, she held a small package wrapped in a pink blanket, but you couldn’t see well.

“Mommy! What happened to you? Are you okay? Why do you look so different?” you cried.

Your mother swung her bag onto the couch and thrusted the package into your arms. A foreign desire stirs in you to accept it gently, and you looked at your mom in confusion.

“Take care of your sister for me. I’m going to take a nap,” you mother stormed into the bedroom, locking the door behind her.

“S-Sister?!” you look down at the sleeping baby in your arms; her eyes scrunch up as she lets out a loud wail, filling the house with her screams, “Mom?!”

You jiggled the doorknob, but no matter how hard you push, you weren’t strong enough to force yourself in. The baby continues to scream, thrashing in your arms. Afraid you might accidentally drop her, you held the baby close and began to rock her like you’ve seen people do on tv. Soon enough, your sister begins to calm down.

“Shh. It’s just me, your big sister. We’re going to be family,” you sang softly.

The sweet baby cooed and for the first time, opened her big emerald eyes, sparkling full of hope and innocent promises. She babbled some more and reached for your hair, putting it in her mouth and mixing it with her saliva. You were mesmerized, fallen in love with the pure light in your arms, doomed to be corrupted, but you won’t let that happen. When you looked at her, all the rights became wrongs and all the wrongs became right, but every fiber in your being swore to protect this baby.

“I promise I won’t let anything happen to you,” you kissed the top of her head as she squeezed your thumb and fell asleep.


	25. Blueprints for Hatred

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans and Frisk fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS 4 AM AND I'M TOTALLY FINE HAHA *SCREAMS INTO THE VOID*
> 
> I am so sorry for the late update and the short chapter, but I did warn you of my sporadic updating schedule. I was also debating whether I should publish this chapter or skip it and move onto the next one. But I already wrote it and so I might as well. BUT THE PLOT WILL BE MOVING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER. THESE LAST FEW WERE SETTING UP FOR THE BIG BADDIE OF THE ARC. 
> 
> Also, you may have noticed I changed the title for this arc. I did it only because 'Imbalance' describes this arc better then 'Past and Future'

Sans throws the wrench in frustration, the tool clanking against the blue tiled floor as the skeleton leans against his chair, rubbing his temples. Once again, the radiator blew up inside the machine, not even powering on the slightest.  Sans had managed to salvage most of the machine when he found it, but the most important mechanics were scorched into dust. The skeleton wondered how you ever activated the machine in the first place without the proper equipment. It’s not like you would give him the answers anyway. Checking his watch, Sans decides he’ll continue tomorrow and zips up his jacket.

The monster teleports into his living room, swirls of butterscotch greeting him warmly and anime fighting grunts blast from the speakers  of the tv where Frisk and Papyrus playfully shove each other during their match. Not wanting to ruin their fun, Sans heads into the kitchen.

“heya tori,” the skeleton swipes a bottle of ketchup from the fridge.

“Oh! Sans, my apologies, I didn’t hear you come in,” Toriel jumps.

“heh. didn’t mean to rattle your bones,” Sans shrugs, squirting the ketchup into his mouth.

Toriel throws her head back in laughter, giggling in content, but her wide grin shifts into a deep frown, her sullen tired eyes deepen with sadness. She returns to the cutting board, mincing some carrots to distract herself.

“Things have not been looking good for us, Sans,” her loud chops fills the silence.

“i don’t see how this concerns me or paps,” Sans replies coldly.

Toriel glares at the skeleton in annoyance, “It does concern you, it concerns all of us! Monsters have been going missing without a trace, but Asgore is too fixated on ___ to do anything about it,”

“Why? Isn’t the disappearance of his own kind more important than some stupid human?” Sans raises a bone brow.

“Well this human just happens to be a mage and he has this imaginary sense of duty to keep her contained,” the ex queen sighs.

“well what do you want me to do about it?” the room becomes stiff with tension.

“Find her. Prove to Asgore that she’s not a threat and maybe he’ll drop this obsession and focus on the task at hand,” Toriel pleads.

“i’m busy tori. sorry,” without looking back, Sans stomps into his room, slamming the door behind him.

Papers fly into the air as the force of wind fly behind him. Not bothering to clean it up, the lazy skeleton face plants into his bed, wrapping the greasy blanket around himself.

“SANS!” the bedroom door swings open as Frisk pulls the covers off the monster, dragging his feet off the bed, “Are you being serious right now? My mom desperately needs your help and you can’t because you’re /busy/? Or are you too much of a coward to face her,”

“leave me alone kid. i’m bone tired right now,”

“No,” Frisk’s eyes flashed red momentarily, but enough time for Sans to summon a bone , aiming it straight at their heart, but the fallen child seems unfazed, unnaturally calm even, “If you kill me now, I will have to reset,”

The skeleton’s right eye blazed blue and gold, but he lets go, the bone disappearing behind him. Frisk straightens out their stripped shirt  and glances to the side, picking up one of the many scattered blueprints. Before Sans could stop them, the kid curiously scans through the messy handwriting and the detailed pictures, their eyes widening when they realized what the blueprints are for.

“Sans… is this what I think it is?” Frisk asks, waving the papers in front of his face.

“None of your business,” Sans snatches the plans out of Frisk’s hand.

“Why are you trying to bring back Gaster?! You know what he did to ___ and to those monsters!” Frisk yells.

“this isn’t about you,” Sans clenches his skeletal fists.

“This isn’t about me? You’re messing with time and space, ripping holes within the realities and universes. You can’t bring someone back from the Void,”

“Realities?” Sans perks up, noting this new information.

Frisk sighs, pushing their hair out of their eyes, “According to ___, there are three realities overlapping each other that make up our universe,”

The kid continues to explain the concept of the realities and Sans takes in every word with awe and hidden enthusiasm. This could be a missing piece to the puzzle of the machine. If he were in a different situation, he would devote his time researching the endless possibilities of alternate universes and the secrets of the Void. He already knows that Frisk possibly created a few different universes with their resets, but he how to access them is the real mystery.  From the kid’s mini lesson, the only way to the Void is to go through the second reality which acts a bridge, so if he recalibrated the settings to pick up on the second reality instead, he could force his way into the Void.

“So now do you understand why you can’t do this?” Frisk crosses their arms.

“yeah. yeah. got it mom,” Sans rolls his eyes.

“Sans,” Frisk growls, taking a step closer.

“kid, you may be determined, but **i’m** determined to bring my father back,” the air grows thick and suffocating with tension, a war between two friends and two enemies.

“Don’t mess with things you don’t understand!”

“what, like time travel? awakening an ancient demon that killed us all?”

Frisk remains quiet.

“you wouldn’t understand because you are on /her/ side. everyone is on her side, nobody takes a look at my point of view,” a pile of bones swirl dangerously around the skeleton, “gaster was a great father to me and paps; i don’t care if he was a mass murderer,”

Frisk flinches back in shock and complete rage, their eyes turning red as their voice deepens in a high growl, “Oh so when I go off on a genocide, I get dunked on, but when you’re father does it, it’s okay? I don’t even know who you are anymore.”

The fallen child storms off, slamming the door behind them. Sans sits in muted silence, shaking off any doubts in his mind. He has to stay focused. Picking up the blueprints, he opens the desk drawer and shove the papers insides. A small photo catches his eye and he gingerly picks up, dusting off the dirt as his soul hums pleasantly to your smiling face. He could almost hear your laughter through the picture, the sound of your voice caressing his soul in a gentle embrace. He remembers the fireworks exploding in the photo, lighting up your eyes in fascination and wonder. A wrenching guilt stabs his core as his bones shiver to hold back his emotions. Crumbling the photo, he angrily throws it  the trash, and screams into his hands. Everything escapes within his grasp; every trace of anger and hate towards you slips through his fingers like sand as he tries to salvage what he can. He’s so tired of being angry, but you loving you hurts him like a knife; it’s the only way to protect himself. Without thinking, the skeleton fishes the photo out of the trash and straighten it out the best he could, holding it close to his chest so his soul could drum lightly against the small piece of happiness. Maybe at this moment, this small moment, he’ll allow himself to love you just a little.

* * *

 

Frisk rushes down the stairs, their heavy footsteps alerting both the tall skeleton and goat mother.

“My child, is everything alright? I heard yelling,” Toriel asks, her eyes furrowing in concern as she extends a claw out to her child.

“I’m okay, Mom,” Frisk smiles brightly and pulls their phone out of their pocket, “I just have to make a quick phone call,”

The kid steps out into the garden, breathing in the morning air. Holding the phone to their ear, they wait for the phone to ring.

“H-Hello? A-Alphys here,” Alphys picks up on the second ring.

“Alphys, it’s Frisk. We need to find ___ fast,”


	26. Alcohol is not Medicine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You cry. A lot.

You and Daniel burst through the front door, exhausted and sweating, but overall in a good mood from each other’s company throughout the entire day. Hoards of spring breakers came in and out, shopping for a great read over the break. It had been refreshing to listen to the customers rant so passionately about their favorite books and authors, reminding you about the purity left in this world. You and Daniel throw your bags onto the couch, plopping on the loveseat together.

“So what’s for dinner,” you ask your housemate. 

“Ugh, I’m too tired to make anything,” Daniel groans. 

“Pizza?” you offer. 

“Pizza,” Daniel agrees, “But no pineapples,”

You hug a pillow close to your chest and pout, “But Daaaan,”

“As your best friend and your boss, I am not letting you do that to yourself. I will not let yourself become trash,” Daniel shakes your shoulder with genuine concern, so much so, you’re afraid of challenging him. 

You shrug and Daniel orders, picking up the pizza an hour later. Mindlessly stuffing the food down your throats, you turn to Dan, determination coursing through your veins as you grin mischievously.

“So, I have a plan to get you and Jack together,” you say. 

Daniel wipes his mouth with a napkin, “Okay. Shoot,”

“The first step is to get you two to spend some time together outside of class,” you 

state, “But not alone, yet. You have to establish a friendship before moving onto anything else since Jack is so shy.”

You quickly run to your room and return with a printed map and a red pen. Laying the materials out in front of you, you circle the areas on the map colored green.

“I highlighted the route you should take and I visited them myself. There are lots of pretty flowers and open grass, which makes it more romantic,” Charlie paws your knee and you absent-mindedly feed him a sausage, “However, we don’t want it to feel like a date just yet so you gotta invite some people to make it a group hangout kind of thing,” 

“So, how many people should I invite?” Daniel asks. 

You crack a sly smile, “Leave that to me,”

“So a group of us is going to have a romantic walk in the park?” Daniel asks

doubtfully.

“Of course not! That’s why we have this!” you swipe your phone and open your Pokemon Go app, its adventurous theme blasting out loud, “That way, this date wouldn’t be so awkward!” 

Daniel looks at you with amusement and affection, agreeing to go on with your ridiculous plan anyway. 

“Alright kiddo, I have full faith in you,” your housemate stands up and walks over to the kitchen, “Do you want a beer?” 

You hesitate, about to decline his offer, but you are in a good mood today, for the first time in a while. You don’t necessarily enjoy the taste of alcohol, but today, you’re feeling reckless and impulsive. You have to prove to yourself that you’re nothing like your mom. 

“Yeah sure,” you reply, fumbly catching the bottle Daniel tosses at you. 

Daniel pops the bottle open and the tiny bubbles fizz on your chin. Without wasting any time, you hold your breath and chug down the yellow alcohol; the overwhelming bitterness burned your throat, tempting you to spit it out, but you hold it down anyway, wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. 

“Uh, you alright there Lucy?” Daniel’s eyes widened in concern. 

“That was utterly disgusting. Alcohol is gross,” you rasp. 

“Is this your first time drinking?” your housemate asks. 

“I had some champagne at a wedding once, never really got into it,” you take another sip, this time just swallowing rather than tasting. 

“If you hate it so much, then why-”

“Let me live my life, Dan,” you swing the bottle, finishing off, “May I have another please?”

Daniel grabs another for you and you quickly chug it down like the last, not minding the taste anymore. You have another and another, until you finally notice the wetness on the heat of your cheeks. You pay no attention until Daniel finally stops you. 

“I think you’ve had enough for now,” your best reaches for your fourth nearly empty bottle, but you push him away, growling animalistically. 

Daniel pulls back, throwing his hands up in surrender then cautiously pushes the pack away from you. You continue to chug it down like nothing happened. Hiccuping a sob, you take a deep breath and run your fingers through your hair. 

“Are you okay, _____?” Daniel whispers. 

“W-What are you talking about? I-I’m fine,” you giggle manically, “I’m fine see! There’s nothing wrong, I’m happy! I’m so fucking happy!”

You down another bottle in one go, your face heating up and you vision growing blurry. Everything you’ve worked so hard to repress for the past few weeks comes bubbling up, exploding like a nuclear reactor. The living room lights flicker erratically as a thunderous clap of lightning cracked the night sky. The air around the two of you becomes thick with static and electricity, slithering down your arm like a snake. Daniel jumps off the couch, his blue eyes blown with fear. 

“_____?” your best friend squeaks. 

“Let’s play a game!” you jump cheerfully, the bright and low lights dancing around like fireflies, “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” 

“What? _____, what’s going-” 

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?!” you screech, breaking several lightbulbs. 

“I-I don’t know, I-I ate my brother in the womb?” Daniel inches toward the wall in panic, his attention shifting from you to the broken lights. 

“Ha...ha…” you cackle loudly, “I killed 50 people,”

You swing another bottle, not caring about the liquid dripping down your chin, mixing in with your skin. 

“And you know, I feel nothing. I don’t regret it at all. They deserved it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Am I a bad person, Daniel? Tell me I’m a bad person,” lights dance behind you. 

Your housemate quivers against the wall, glancing at the sparks on your skin. 

“W-What? I-I don’t-” Daniel squeaks. 

“Do you want to know why I killed them?” your words devoid of any life and emotion, slowly transforming into a soft chuckle, “I can’t tell you. Because if I tell you, I’ll have to kill you too,”

With his knees trembling and his heartbeat roaring loudly. Daniel zips toward the front door, almost ripping it off its hinges,  running in the pouring rain, leaving behind the one person who needs him most. 

The magic bursting around you slowly dies down with your emotions as you’re left surrounded by a circle of broken glass, the darkness wrapping around you like a blanket. Even on a full moon night, the light doesn’t break through the encompassing black. 

You look down at the empty bottle in your hand and sigh, dropping the glass without a care, smashing it within the shards of lost dreams. You slide down to the ground, ignoring the glass digging into your skin and just close your eyes. You’re so tired. Tired of living, tired of losing everything you love, tired of yourself. You can’t remember how to feel emotions anymore, all you can remember is this  never ending storm of numbness. You don’t allow yourself to process the fact that you lost lost your best friend because you lost control. You don’t process that you are all alone. Again. 

Not caring that you will regret it later, you grab the last bottle and lock the front door behind you. Turning into the main street of the city, you hail a taxi, requesting Mt. Ebott. 

“The mountain where the monsters came out? Why would you want to go there?” the nosy taxi driver  exclaims. 

“Business,” you twiddle with the bottle cap, anxious to pop it open again. 

“That’s two towns over, are you sure?” the driver stop at the red light. 

The taxi driver keeps his mouth shut and you close your eyes relaxing in the silence. The frost slowly creeps up the window, fading the passing world into in the soft glow, the street lights flickering as you pass by. You draw a tiny flower on the frost, then lean your head against the window, taking in the stale warmth of the car heater. 

Half an hour later, you arrive at the base of Mt. Ebott, where you send off the driver with a generous amount of money. Allowing your mind to go on autopilot, you tread through thick trees. With your boots caked with dirt, you finally throw yourself amidst the poppies, their red petals tickling your cheeks and the soft earth pulling you out of your drunken haze. 

You chest throbs as your heart tears itself once again you’d think you’d be use to this by now, having people leave you because of your mistakes. You don’t have a family and you never will have one again; not after abandoning your own. Popping the cap open, you take a slow, long gulp, the familiar numbness suppressing the magic of your soul. With the flowers in between your fingers, and the vast night sky looming above you,  the stars millions of light years away, yet still burning bright for your little world. You realize how small and insignificant you actually are. With the never ending nothingness within your reach and not at the same time, you know that time will move on, and so will you. With this comfort tucked inside your pocket, everything will be okay. 

* * *

Completely lost in your thoughts, you almost didn’t hear the footsteps approaching you; instinctively sitting up, you back away from the stranger and curl your hands tightly in case of a fight. You flinch away, startled, shocked to be near the familiar blue jacket again.

Sans?

Neither of you say anything, a tense silence filling the air. Sans keeps his hands shoved inside his pocket and you don’t release your balled fist. 

“I got here first, I’m not leaving,” you broke the silence. 

I miss you. 

“Go home, _____,” Sans finally says. 

“You can’t tell me what to do,” you take a swing of your bottle. 

Take me back. 

“I want you to go home,” Sans states.

You let out a high, hysteric laugh, “You want me to go home? You think you can tell me to jump and I’ll say ‘how high’? Fuck you, Sans,”

I still love you. 

Sans remains quiet, watching you with intensity. You sigh and angrily throw your bottle at the skeleton, which he dodges with ease. You avert your gaze, not allowing him to see the tears threatening to spill nor see your heartbreak.  Taking one last look behind your shoulder, the emotionless smile cracking your soul further, you run down the mountain, the sparks tingling on your skin. Taking the bus this time, you return to Daniel’s home, hoping that he isn’t back yet. 

Your heart sinks a little when you find your boss in the living room, with his back turned to you. You softly call out his name and he jumps, pointing a shaky knife at you.  Keeping your composure, you pretend that you aren’t hurt by that notion. 

“I’m not going to hurt you Daniel,” you say softly so you don’t startle him, “I’m just going to get my things, then I’ll leave,”

“Leave?” Daniel tilts his head, “Where will you go?”

Surprised by his concern, you scratch the back of your head, “I’m not sure yet. But I’ll figure something out,”

Daniel stays quiet for a moment, processing the night’s events, then hesitantly lowers the knife, his hands still shaking. 

“You don’t have to leave,” you boss says, “You can stay,  
“Daniel,” you command his name, “You don’t have to do this. I don’t want you to living in fear of me,”

“I love you more than I fear you,” Daniel tosses the knife aside, his confidence growing in his words, “But you have to tell me everything,”

Hot tears wet your cheeks as you fall to your knees and hang your head in shame, “But why? After everything I’ve done, why are you being so nice to me?” 

Daniel wraps his arms around you, allowing you to sob on his shoulder. You are too distressed to hear his answer, so instead, he smooths out your hair and holds you close. 

“Welcome home, kiddo,” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10 points to those that catch that Avatar The Last Airbender Reference. 
> 
> I know most of you want to see Sans get roasted, but now is not the time. 
> 
> I wrote an alternate ending to this chapter! Make sure to check it out!


	27. No More Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to spill the beans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting college on Monday and I'm so nervous! Wish me luck! I don't know what's my updating going to be like when school starts because I have work and school now, but assume that it's going to be slow. I will finish this fic and I estimate it'll be around 3 or 4 arcs, so stick around! 
> 
> Also, I actually finished early this time! It's only 2 am here, which is quite the record haha. But if there are any mistakes, I'll correct them as soon as possible.

You hum happily to the tune in your head as you skip along the sidewalk, phone in hand. You eagerly await for your the buzz announcing the presence of nearby pokemon. You always made sure to stay two steps ahead of the blossoming couple, giving them space for themselves, only falling into the same rhythm whenever one of them asks you a question.  Soon, Jack’s and Daniel’s conversation dies down, so you swoop in, saving them from the awkwardness. You manage to strike up a conversation about food, then slowly backing out when the two got really into it.

“Well, _____ here, like pineapples on pizza. The absurdity!” Daniel exclaims.

“Pineapples are valid toppings! The sweetness balances out the salt and grease!” you retort.

“You’re only brainwashed by the media to believe that,” your best friend says.

“Am not. Pineapples rule!” you childishly whine.

Jack giggles brightly, interrupting your silly bickering, “You two are so cute. How long have you been together?”

Both you and Daniel are taken aback by Jack’s implication, looking at each other in disbelief, before breaking out into roaring laughter.

“Me and Daniel? Gross!” you clutch your stomach and fall to your knees.

“But don’t you live together?” Jack tilts his head in confusion, “And you’re so close too,”

Daniel hangs his arms around his crush’s shoulder, leaning in close, “We live together and we work together. That’s why we know each other so well.”

“Oh, when did you become friends?” Jack asks.

You and Daniel pause, sharing a look and realizing the answer.

“Only for a couple months actually,” you say in wonder, but shake it off, giving Daniel an affectionate hug, “And now he’s my best friend.”

Your boss smiles and hugs you back then return to a flowing conversation with his crush. This time, you chose to walk behind them, enjoying the scenery yourself. The gentle spring breeze flows lightly through your hair as ducks waddle past your legs and into the sparkling lake.  Dazzling flowers of reds and blues bloom nearby, eagerly accepting the colonies of bees buzzing past. Small children dance around each other, their high voices ringing throughout the park., filling the air with bright innocence. Distracted by your thoughts, you didn’t notice how far you’ve fallen behind, but seeing how both of their hands brush against each other and Daniel’s constant shining smiles, you decide that your best friend is ready and google the nearest coffee shop.  You enter the shop, the little bell announcing your arrival, and ordered a small vanilla latte. You choose the stool closest to the window, where the shining sunlight poured in, a nice break from the constant grey skies and lightning storms. A part of you wonder if you had anything to do with the storms, but you brush it aside, claiming that it was probably just a coincidence.

Tasting your latte, you swirl the sweetness on your tongue, the warmth sliding down your throat. You lose yourself to a euphoric state, releasing all your stress and worries into an over-priced coffee. The last month had been a whirlwind of changes, from losing all your friends in a day to losing control of your powers; not to mention nearly killing your best friend then explaining everything to him. He freaked out, like you expected, and you don’t blame him, but after a week of subconscious flinching and silent fear, your relationship with Daniel is almost back to normal. With everything dying down, your life is beginning to feel more stabilized; your heartbreak with Sans still hurt, but with Daniel’s love and support, you feel almost ready to move on. You can close that chapter of your life and begin anew, where you can have a normal life with a normal job, maybe even going back to school since your education was cut short, despite Gaster’s best efforts to educate you on quantum physics. You didn’t even know Marie Antoinette was Austrian til yesterday.  

“My dear?” a familiar voice pulls you out of your daydream and you nearly spit out your drink.

“Toriel!” you jump out of your seat and into her warm embrace as the tears form in the monster’s kind brown eyes.

“Oh my child,” the goat monster strokes your head as your own tears dampen her smooth blouse.

“I missed you so much,” you whimper like a child.

“I missed you too,” Toriel wipes the tears out of your eyes, “We should go somewhere more private. We have much to discuss.”

* * *

You lead Toriel to your house, offering her a cup of tea as she took a seat at the dining table.

“You have a lovely home,” the monster compliments as she accepts her drink.

“Thank you,” you smile graciously, “But this house isn’t mine. A friend allowed me to stay here,”

“Oh how nice! I’ve been so worried about you, my child,” Toriel sips her tea.

“Don’t waste your time on worrying about me. I’m a survivor,” you laugh, “What brings you here?”

“I was shopping for Frisk. They need new ambassador clothing and I hear stores around here tailor professionally to children,” Toriel explains.

“It must be hard for them to be a political figure at such a young age,” you sigh, “How are they? And the others?”

“Things are good, we all miss you. Sans has been… very tense. Papyrus says that he’s away from home all the time and usually gets back home very late. He’s been tired and irritable lately, so I haven’t seen him recently. “

“How’s Papyrus handling it?”

“You know Papyrus, he’s always trying to make everyone happy, especially his brother. It’s draining him, but he’s strong.” Toriel stares thoughtfully at her tea, “I am so glad you are safe my child, but I have to know. What happened between you and Sans? Alphys and Frisk seem to know about it, but they’re not telling anyone,”

A warmth spread throughout your core, knowing that even now, your friends are still loyal to your secret. But you suppose there is no point in trying to keep it a secret anymore, especially now that you are out of their lives, but they all deserve an explanation.

“It’s a long story, one that I would not like to repeat. You all should hear it,” you sigh and run your fingers through your hair.

Toriel rubs her tea cup, lost in her thoughts, her tone tired and heavy, “My child, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“What is it?” you curiousity piped.

“Monsters have been disappearing and we suspect that the human gang has something to do with it,” Toriel says.

“Monsters have been going missing? Why haven’t I heard of this?” you exclaim, your anger rising.

“We believe that the Righteous have some kind of control over the media and is more powerful than we thought. Human media don’t often cover monster affairs anyways,”

Keeping your cool, you ask, “Okay, so what do you need from me?”

Toriel looks at you with pleading eyes, “When Asgore learned that you can use magic, he’s been consumed with paranoia about human mages. He’s been so focused on finding you, he’s neglecting his responsibilities. So please, will you come with me to prove to him that you are not a threat?”

You hesitate, seeing the path laid out in front of you. If you do this, you’ll be shoved back into their lives, after so much pain on getting over them. Fate is dangling your friends in front of you, but they will always be out of your reach. This would break your little bubble of new found happiness, bringing back emotions you’ve tried so hard to repress. You’ve already given everything you have to them, you want to keep your life right now to yourself, be selfish for a change. But the possibility of Papyrus or Alphys, or even Sans disappearing is something you cannot ignore. If something ever happened to them and you could have prevent it in some way, you would never be able to live with yourself.

“Okay. I’ll talk to Asgore,” you agree, prompting a tight embrace from Toriel.

“Thank you, my child. I know how hard this must be for you,”

You leave a note for Daniel and grab your purse, locking the door behind you.

* * *

 

Toriel drives to Mt. Ebott, the heat of the sun bearing down your back. Seeing the barrier designed to keep out humans disgusts you, but you understand the need for it. Your shoes click through the familiar halls, a chill running down your spine from the hollowness of the judgement hall as imaginary bones scatter the floors and blood splatter the walls. Toriel leads you into a room you’ve never been before, but you guess it was recently built to be some kind of conference room.  Papyrus and Undyne rush to your sides, squeezing you in between them.

“Guys?!” you manage somehow to choke out.

“Heya punk! It’s so good to see you again!” Undyne exclaims, giving you a hard noogie.

“YOU MUST BE HONORED TO SEE I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ONCE AGAIN!” Papyrus leaves an imprint of his ribcage on your face.

“Undyne! Papy!” you cry, a spark of energy rippling across your soul, something you haven’t felt in a very long time, “What are you doing here?”

“I thought it would be easier for you if they were here,” Toriel steps forward, a sly grin spreading across her face.

You suspect that it’s more than that, perhaps to protect you from the king if he tries to harm you.

“Where are Frisk and Alphys?” you ask, surprised to see the fish monster without her wife.

“Frisk is at school and Alphys is helping Mettaton with something. Sans is…somewhere,” Undyne pulls out a seat for herself.

Before you can reply, Asgore enters the room, commanding the attention. The king turns to you, greeting you with a handshake, “Human, I’m glad you are here. There are matters I must discuss with you privately.

“No,” you shake your head, “I am here out of my own free will, therefore I shall speak to you on my own terms. I want my friends here. “

Asgore opens his mouth in protest, but Toriel shoots him a deadly glare, “Very well. Let’s get straight to the point shall we? What kind of magic do you use?”

“It seems to be made of energy. I can make solid figures,” you demonstrate by conjuring a knife form with a crystallized edge, “Or I can manipulate energy around me to create electricity.”

Papyrus and Undyne marvel at the knife you created, poking at prodding at it like a foreign object. You giggle and changed it into something more peaceful like a golden lily.

“Were you born with magic or did you learn it?” Asgore asks.

“Neither. It was forced onto me,”

“Can you explain that, please?”

You turn to your friends who all nod their heads in encouragement. This is it. No more secrets.

“It’ll be easier if I start from the beginning… “ you trail off, explaining your tale once again.

By the end of your story, Toriel is sobbing loudly, holding you close as if you would disappear if she let go.

“I am so sorry, my child. I didn’t recognize you,” the goat monster cries as you cling onto her blouse, savoring the comfort that you craved for so long, “I am so happy that one of children is alive. You’ve grown into such a fine young lady. I should have done a better job. It’s my fault that you had to go through all that,”

“Toriel, no. Please don’t blame yourself. I turned okay, didn’t I? I never should have left without telling you,” you stroke her white fur.

“You’re even more hardcore than you look!” Undyne says, to lighten the mood, but she looks visibly shaken.

For the first time, Papyrus seems very upset, never speaking as he stands up from his chair and carries you tightly like a small child.

“Papy?”

“Shh,” the tall skeleton coos, “Just let me hold you.”

Asgore keeps his calm demeanor, though his eyes are tinged with sadness and pity, “I am so sorry this happened to you, child. Had I known, I would have put a stop to it right away,”

“You still would have taken my soul,” you snarl coldly, throwing his pity into his face.

Asgore flinches, then smoothes out his blonde beard, ignoring your harsh comment, “Did you tell anyone about your powers?”

“No,” you lied, “I didn’t tell anyone.”

You doubt Asgore would leave Daniel out of this mess and right now, protecting Daniel is more important than the king’s wishes.

“I would like for you to move back to Ebott City. Alphys can find a way to remove your powers and we can be in close contact,” Asgore demands, the room stifling into a silent uneasiness.

Energy hisses on your fingertips, cracking in warning. You are appalled that the king would even suggest such  thing, “I am not an enemy to monster and I never will be, so I will not become your prisoner and you will not strip me of my powers.”

“I understand how this may sound, But any human with magic is a threat,” Asgore tries to reason with you.

“You’re asking me to throw away a huge part of who I am, just for your peace of mind. These monster souls are living inside me and if you take them away, their deaths will be in vain,”

“As king-”

“Not my king,” your soul flares with intensity as the lights flicker wildly, but settling down as you take a deep breath, “Please remember your majesty, your title is only a political courtesy and has no power or control over humans. The world leaders only allowed you to keep your crown because monsters still turn to you for guidance.”

“You sound like a member of the Righteous,” the monster king seethes.

“Do not confuse bigoted propaganda with hard truths, your majesty,” you sneer, challenging Asgore to face you again, but the king doesn’t take the bait.

The boss monster strokes his beard, heaving a heavy sigh and shakes his head in surrender, “Very well. But if problem arises, please notify me.”

You nod your head in agreement then add, “If there is anything I can do to help find the missing monsters, don’t hesitate to call me.”

Asgore grunts and adjourns the meeting. You and friends pile out of the mountain, skipping along side the sunset. You never noticed how time flies in the Underground and suddenly, you realize how exhausted you are.

“Let’s go punk! We have a whole month of activities we gotta catch up on!” Undyne throws you over her shoulders before you can protest.

“Undyne wait!” you struggle against her grip until she drops you.

Papyrus and Undyne both give you quizzical looks as you dust off your dress.

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” your soul dims hollowly.

“WHY NOT HUMAN?” it breaks your heart to see Papyrus’s face fall in disappointment, but it hurts so much more for you to be let down again.

“I can’t be around you anymore. Sans told me to stay away and I did. Being around you guys, it brings back too many memories. I love you all so much,” you whimper as static buzz on your skin.

“At least spend the night with me, my child,” Toriel rests her paws on your shoulders, “One night with us won’t hurt, will it? I’ll even bake you snail pie tonight.”

Your mouth waters at tasting Toriel’s cooking again. She’s right, maybe this last night could give you the closure you need, so you give in. Papyrus and Undyne cheers in excitement as you send Daniel a text, giving him a heads up on your whereabouts and happily follow your friends home.

Toriel unlocks the door, greeting Alphys and Frisk, who are waiting for you by the fireplace, but unlike the others, the two are not as enthusiastic to see you.  In fact, their eyes droop into a somber tiredness and their frowns deepen into intense worry.

“Frisk, Alphys. I’m so glad to see you again,” you approach them nervously.

“We are happy to see you too,” Frisk gives you a small smile, but they look 10 years older than they actually are.   

“B-But w-we have s-some bad news,” Alphys sits you down on the couch and fiddles with her thumbs, “W-We need to talk about S-Sans,”


	28. Sans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there is some serious dunking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY, UNDERTALE!! I was so excited for this chapter, you guys have no idea. I based this entire arc off this scene that I had in my head for a while. That's why everything seemed so slow, I needed Reader to heal while Sans needed to suffer before they can get to this point. I really think it turned out to be like it was in my head. I hope you guys enjoy it! 
> 
>  
> 
> [Want updates? ](http://maplemesyrup.tumblr.com/)

You blast through the metal door in a ferocious blaze, completely obliterating the barrier between you and Sans, who just stares at you, bewildered by your sudden appearance. Your magic hisses on your skin, sizzling at the slightest Snowdin gust.  You stomp through the skeleton’s lab, knock the wrench out of his hands, and throw it across the room; the mirror shattering behind him.

“How could you, Sans?”  you ball your fists as crackling energy surges through you, “You’re trying to bring him back? After everything he’s put me through?!”

“you shouldn’t be here,” Sans steps away from you, recovering from his shock.

“I shouldn’t-” you cover your forehead with your hand, laughing hysterically, then bursting out a wave of static, “FUCK YOU!”

Sans readies a bone attack, but you are far from done, “I know you must hate me. You are angry, frustrated, and suffering because of what I did. He was your father, I understand that. But to betray everything we had to bring back the man who tortured me for years, and killed hundreds of monsters, that is something I will not stand for,”

You close your eyes and count back from ten to cool down your burning wrath to a rational level, “Listen to me, Sans. That machine can never be fixed. Not by you, not by Alphys, not by anyone.”

Sans’s right eye flares blue and he grabs you by your arms. Suddenly, your stomach lurches from the unprepared vertigo and the high momentum and velocity of the force pushing you forward. Your head spins from the teleportation as you grip the dirt to keep yourself grounded. Groaning, you open your palms, revealing a collection of red petals and green stems. The poppy fields? Your chance to recover is cut short as your soul turns blue and your body is thrown across the field.  

The cold, cresent moon night emcompasses the world.

You slowly stagger up, the newly formed bruises aching your body. Sans stomps towards you, blue power and anger radiating from this eye.

“i told you to stay away,” the skeleton summons a sharp edged bone and hurls it at you, but you dodged, the attack only missing you by a hair.

“I won’t fight you, Sans!” you shout, forming a shield to protect you from the storm of bones and gaster blasters raining down.

“then i guess i’m gonna have a skele- _ton_ of fun!” another wave bones charges at you, but you stand your ground, keeping up your shield.

But as the attacks keep coming, your energy shield becomes strained and depleted, forcing you down with their weight. One femur breaks through, missing you, but with the distraction, a gaster blaster fires, burning your right shoulder. You yelp, but push the pain aside for now. Breathing heavily, a sliver of electricity rolls down your forearm, itching you to fight back. Staring him down, you stubborn clench your fists and hold them at your sides. After being around Frisk for so long, Sans remains unfazed by your pacifism and continues attacking you at full force. Once again, blue magic surrounds you weighing you down. Sharp bones erupt from the ground , but you jump in the air, rolling forward before gravity drops you.

“Sans, will you just listen to me?!” you roll left to avoid a gaster blaster.

You form tendrils of golden energy to cut through the flying bones and you duck as one zips past your head. A gnawing burst of magic thrashes inside your soul, determined to be let out and its persistence draining you. Too focused on suppressing your instincts, you don’t notice a bone stabbing you in your stomach until you fall to your knees, spewing blood as the Karmic Retribution slowly drains your health points away. Every breath sinks the femur further in as you feel your intestines twist around the foreign object. You steady your breathing, refusing to fall. You aren’t done yet. Your HP hangs on a low 7.

“Sans,” you sputter weakly as blood drips from your mouth, “Listen to me. I’m telling you this because I still care about you.”

The skeleton chuckles darkly, readying his gaster blaster, “i don’t care,”

Your face falls and the dam inside you bursts open, releasing every ounce of hatred and anger you’ve locked away, powering the raw energy forming in your hands. A thick tentacle whips at the gaster blaster, shattering it as the shards disintegrates into dust. Sans’s smile twitch in annoyance.

“So everything I’ve done for you, it was all for nothing?” thunder cracks open the sky, as static swirls in the air, buzzing dangerously.

With all the justice pumping through your body, you rip the bone attack out, wiping the blood from your mouth with the back of your hand. No more playing around. You grip the bone tightly and charge at the monster, a storm of your wrath following closely behind you.  You clumsily swing the weapon as a distraction, which Sans dodged left. Smirking, you wrap a tentacle around his legs and throws him to the ground, providing a small cushion so his health point doesn’t fall. Your other tentacles clash with his gaster blasters, destroying them with a single hit, but you don’t notice one behind you,  shooting you straight in your back, you HP falling to a 3. Beads of sweat roll down your forehead as something clicks. Sans only attacks with projectiles. He isn’t a skilled fighter like Undyne or Papyrus, he lets his magic and weapons do the work for him. Using this observation, you form twin daggers in your palms, the translucent energy pulsing underneath the starlight. Leaping through the ground attacks, you dance through the oncoming gaster blasters as you swing your daggers, apprehensiveness growing Sans’s expression while he sweeps left and right.

This continues on and on, until you’ve nearly collapsed from exhaustion. You’ve never used this much magic continuously and before you know it, your movements become slower, your HP tittering on a 2.  Knowing that with the way things are going now, you dissipate all forms of your magic and charge at the skeleton with tightened fists. Before you can land the impact, Sans turns your soul blue, levitates you in the air, then smashes you into the ground. The red petals scatter.  You try to find the strength to get back up, to fight, to defend, but you stay down instead, cuts and bruises throbbing against your skin.

Everything turns monochrome as Sans pulls your soul out of your body, the only colors from Sans’s blue fire and your soft yellow soul. Colorless tears roll down your cheeks as you fall into an angry despair. You are in too much pain to notice Sans’s faltering power as he readies a bone set over your floating heart.

“If you really hate me, just kill me already!” you scream in agony, surprised by the power left in your voice.

A second passed. And another. And another. Til eternity crashes you both.

Sans’s skeletal hands shakes, his own tears falling. The monster releases your soul, the heart quickly retracting back into your body. Sans falls to his knees and buries his face into his hands.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Sans sobs into the red poppies.

“Sans,”  you reach out to him, driven by an overwhelming desire to comfort, to hold, but as soon as you get up, darkness swallows you whole.

* * *

 

“Will she be okay?”

“I don’t know. Even with my healing magic, her HP isn’t recovering fast enough.”

“Her physical wounds are too deep, maybe we should take her to the hospital.  
“N-No. W-We s-shouldn’t. I’ll uhm help her,”

Silence.

“Take a good look at her, Sans. I will never forgive you for this.”

“i’m so sorry.”

Click. Click. Static. Click.

* * *

 

Sans stays by your side the entire time, holding your cold, feeble hands in his skeletal ones, never letting you go. He shouldn’t have let go in the first place. You will probably never forgive him. Not after everything he’s done to you. Your left cheek is swollen to the size of a golf ball and throbbing purple while you pale lips are split open, dried blood patching the cut. Deep bags formed under your closed eyes as a deep cut runs from your jawline to your neck, another scar in a sea of pain.

“It’s been three days, why hasn’t she woken up yet?” Daniel quietly shuffles in.

“She took a lot of magic based attacks with her physical body and her soul. That can really damage a person. Not to mention, she’s suffering from magic depletion as well,” Sans replies.

“And whose fault is that?” Daniel snarls, glaring at the skeleton.

Sans stays quiet.

“Go get some rest. I’ll watch over her,” Daniel stuffs his hands in his pocket and patiently waits for the skeleton to leave.

“don’t need rest,”

“Yes you do. She’ll be fine without you. She always has been,” his words drip with venom.

“i’m not leaving her ever again,”

The human turns up his nose and sneers, “You think she would want someone like you by her side right now? How do you think she’ll react if she wakes up with the person who nearly killed her by her side?”

“and you’re more qualified?” Sans shoots up, knocking his chair back, “you’re just some stranger-”

“Stranger?!” Daniel raises his voice, “I was there when **you** abandoned her. I was the one that put her together piece by piece after what **you** did to her!”

“What is going on up here?” Toriel barges in, “If you two are going to argue, do it outside,”

The bed stirs and everyone turns toward you, hope fleeting across their souls.

“T-Toriel?” your weak voice croaks, barely audible, as your eyes hold so much hurt.

“Oh my child!” Toriel exclaims, rushing to your side, her natural maternal instincts kicking in, “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”

“I-I d-don’t know. What’s going on?” you flinch from your quick movements.

Sans steps forward, prepared to take you into his arms, to hold you, to kiss you, to tell you everything will be alright. But Daniel pushes him away and takes you into his embrace, kissing your forehead.

“Hey there, buddy. I’ve missed you,”

“Daniel,” tears rolls down your cheeks as a smile spreads across your face, “You were worried about me?”

“Of course. You’re my favorite employee after all,” Daniel chuckles.

A light patter of footsteps linger at the doorway. Frisk gasps and shouts down the stairs, “Guys! She’s awake!”

A rampant stampede soon follows as your monster friends surround your bed, coddling you and crying from relief. You hang on tightly to each one of them, a light slowly returning to your eyes.  You are so filled with love. Seeing the radiance of your smile again, Sans’s soul  drums rapidly as the clouds part ways for the sunlight to come through. The skeleton monster keeps his distance in the corner. You lock eyes with him for a second, your moment of happiness replaced by fear, then quickly turn into grief.

Sans  inches toward your frail body, but is immediately blocked by Undyne and Daniel who tower over him in fury.

“Don’t even think about going near her,” Undyne growls.

“No guys, it’s okay,” the warrior and the human looks at you in disbelief, “Can we uhm, have a moment alone please?”

“_____, are you sure? You don’t have to talk to him,” Daniel says softly.

“I want to. I’ll shout if I need anything,” you say.

Daniel opens his mouth in protest, but then sighs, nodding at your request and motioning the other monster to follow him out. Alphys helps you sit up comfortably, glancing nervously between you and Sans and scurries out the door.

A suffocating silence passes between human and monster. Friends and enemies.

“it’s been awhile,” Sans starts.

“Yeah,” you run your fingers through your hair, “I was kinda in a coma for three days.”

“______, i’m so sorry. for everything,” Sans reaches for your hand, but you pull away, “i don’t expect you to believe me or forgive me. but i truly regret everything.”

You close your eyes and sigh, keeping your head down. You then glance up, meeting his sorrowful eyes.

“I do forgive you. Even after everything you’ve put me through, I still care about you,” your words rests heavily on his soul, reviving him with pure hope.

“then-”

“This changes nothing,” you cut him off.

“what? but why?” a dark pain seared through his soul.

“I forgive you, but we can never go back to what we once were. Sans, you betrayed me. You, Judge of the Underground, sided with a mass murderer, my torturer, over me. Not only that, you tried to bring him back. So you don’t get to have my respect anymore,” your lips quiver as you try to hold back your tears, “There was once a time where I would’ve leaped back into your arms without a second thought. I still want to now. But, I realized… I **deserve** better. I **deserve** someone who appreciate the pain I went through for them, someone who stays with me no matter what I did in the past. You almost killed me, Sans. That’s something I can never forget.”

Crack. Numb. Fire.

“Please. Just leave.” you turn away.

Sans remains emotionless and he stiffly walks out of the room. As his soul crumbles to dust, only then did he know how badly he fucked up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I am trying to follow the canon as much as possible, so when Reader says that the machine will never be fixed, it's true. Toby Fox himself says so, therefore, it is canon in my fic. Not to mention, it adds to Sans's despair. But don't worry, we will see more of Gaster. 
> 
> Also, I wrote an alternative ending to this chapter! Be sure to check it out!


	29. Something's Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk comes up with a plan to prevent any more kidnappings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. Hi. I'm back. It's been a month since I published a chapter and I'm sorry for taking so long. If you've read my author's note then you'd know why. Anyway, it's feels so good to be writing again and I'm really happy with this chapter. Enough of my rambling, enjoy~
> 
> Feel free to point out any mistakes so I may correct them

When Frisk enters the stage, the crowd was already in an chaotic roar. Monsters of all shapes and sizes are shouting at each other; some crying, some fearful, but the tension in the school auditorium remains high. Toriel allowed her school to become an impromptu town hall center for monsters since monsters weren’t welcomed anywhere else. Asgore follows the the child, then steps to the right of the stage , diverting the attention to the ambassador. Undyne, in her fully Captain of the Royal Guard uniform, trails after and remains in the shadows on the left, her cyan spear glowing dangerously.

Frisk firmly taps on the microphone twice to get everyone’s attention and the crowd slowly settles into their seats. The child glances over at Sans and Papyrus who are sitting in the front row with Toriel. Sans gives them a lazy thumbs up and a lazy smile while Papyrus nods in encouragement. Frisk takes a deep breath and starts.

“Thank you for coming today, I’m sure everyone has a lot on their minds so-”

“Grillby is missing!” a tall, red gollum like monster shouts, “Are we just going to do nothing about that?!”

“And my niece too! Why haven’t you gotten her back yet!”

“Half of the Whimsum family is gone!  It’s been weeks!”

The audience returns to its disruptive shouts at the young ambassador, but they keep their neutral face until Asgore orders everyone to calm down.

“I know everyone is worried about their friends and family, but we are working hard to find them. Undyne and the dogs are doing the best they can. Some human volunteers are even working closely with us to find the missing monsters,” Frisk announced.

“Human volunteers? Humans are the ones who kidnapped our friends in the first place! Why are we working with them?! They’re all vile and destructive creatures!” Fuku, a green fire elemental,  bursts into loud sobs. Heats Flamesman helps her sit back down and comforts her.

Frisk tries to let her words get to them, “You’re worried about your father, I understand. But not all humans are like that. Some really want to help us and we must trust in that. If monsters turned on humans, there could be a second war,”

“Now, my parents and I have come up with a plan to prevent any more kidnappings. It’s not perfect and it requires a lot of sacrifice, but it’s the only plan we have right now. Before I begin, please bear in mind that this is only temporary,” Frisk takes a deep breath, “The first option is the best for monsterkind. This plan proposes that monsters shall transfer into secure locations where safety is in numbers and protection is easily assessable. Mettaton has generously cleared out his hotels for this purpose and will begin housing as soon as possible. These hotels will have strong protection magic surrounding it as well as several members of the royal guard on patrol.  The second option is to move back Underground. Your former homes and establishments have been preserved and nothing has been disturbed. This is the safest option as humans would not set foot in that place.”

Frisk pauses, then continues.

“I would not recommend the second option. Monsterkind had fought so hard for their freedom and we cannot let a group of human terrorists destroy that. So stand and persevere. Have patience. Be brave and don’t let everything you’ve worked for become meaningless.  The surface is your home. Believe me, the Righteous will face justice, but not without integrity. Please...stay determined.”

The room remains silent for a moment then bursts into chaos.

“YOU EXPECT US TO UPROOT OUR LIVES?!” one voice yells.

“WE HAVE TO FIGHT BACK!” another shouts.

A mob surrounds the stage and Frisk slowly backs away from the podium.

“Get them out of here,” Asgore says to Undyne who promptly nods and leads Frisk away, “If you have any questions, I shall answer them.”

Sans and Papyrus slips away from the crowd and finds their friends in Toriel’s office. Frisk buries their face in their hands, their body shaking sa Undyne awkwardly comforts them.

“FRISK! YOU WERE SO BRAVE OUT THERE! I APPLAUD YOU!” Papyrus rubs the human’s back.

Frisk offers a small smile in response, but their eyes remain old and tired, just like the ones they had when they chose to spare Sans.

“come on kid. don’t let them get under your skin,” Sans winks, “what, not even a chuckle? what happened to your funny bone?”

“I never wanted this. No matter how hard I try, I could never prevent this,” Frisk sobs.

“You couldn’t have known,” Papyrus soothes.

“Their actions change every time. It’s never the same. Reset after reset, they are always one step ahead,” Frisk sobs.

“What are you talking about, Frisk?” Undyne kneels in front of the small human.

Sans watches in curiousity.

Frisk shakes their head, clearly conflicted.

Suddenly a booming blast shakes the entire building, rubble falling from the ceiling and the lights flickering, followed by terrified shrieks and screams.  The monsters and human jump in alert and Sans rushes to his brother’s side.

“SANS! WHAT’S GOING ON!” the taller skeleton shield the child from the falling rubble.

“i dunno,”

Frisk shoves the monsters aside and runs toward the blast. The monsters call after the human, following them into the fire.

Dust. Ash. All the same.

Flames crack and scorch, the walls enveloped by searing fire. Thick smoke fills the air and if Sans had lungs, he would’ve coughed from the sudden exposure. Humans in protective riot uniforms flood in, dragging the monsters away as they scream and resist. Anyone they deemed too much of a hassle, they shot; the monster turning into dust. Toriel and Asgore push  the human force back, but their numbers were too great. Undyne and Papyrus were immediately off countering the human’s attack, saving anyone they could. A metal beam falls on a fox monster and Sans watched as her body is consumed by fire. Undyne and Papyrus knocks a human unconscious, but with a quick shot, the two monsters go down.  Sans screams his brother’s name, forgetting about Frisk and throw a bone attack at the shooter, sending them scrambling away. Sans checks his brother’s HP then is relieved to see it’s still at 20 points. In Papyrus’s rib, a small dart is lodged inside, rendering the skeleton unconscious. Sans checks Undyne too and realized she is the same state as well. The small skeleton drags the two into a safe corner when he hears Toriel yelling for him.

“Sans! Protect Frisk!” the ex queen cries desperately.

The skeleton quickly scrambles toward the paralyzed child, but a sharp sting in his vertebrae sends him falling into the black.

* * *

 

You check your phone for any new messages, but upon finding none, you slide your phone back into your pocket. Looking back at the college campus, you smile to yourself, feeling a sense of accomplishment and pride. You just finished registering for the fall semester and you can’t help but feel a little excited. You are doing it. You are getting your life together.  Sure the classes you will be taking are very basic high school level classes, but it is still a proper education. You look up at the cloudless blue sky with the sun shining happily and the birds singing merrily. Today is already a great day. You send a text to Alphys and Undyne asking if they want to hang out to celebrate your registration. Walking toward the nearing bus stop, you pass by Grillbys, noting that it was closed. Strange. Grillbys was always open. You peak inside the dark bar and couldn’t find the elemental anywhere. Maybe he got sick? You’ll ask the girls later.

Hopping on the bus, you allow your thoughts to drift to the events the past two weeks. After that night, Undyne and Alphys were the ones that put you back together. Toriel was able to heal you physically, but your soul was a different case. It was slow to regain the lost HP and no amount of monster magic would restore it. Alphys said it was because your soul took too much damage and it didn’t have enough strength to heal yet. Not to mention, your soul was already fragile from the experiments in Gaster’s lab and shattering. But as long as you had hope, you would be able to heal over time. Undyne seemed to have made it her mission to  put you back together properly. Over the past two weeks you’ve had numerous anime nights, intense training sessions where you could freely exercise your magic, and overall a good time. Jack and Daniel even joined in on the fun once in awhile.

You haven’t spoke to Sans since that night. It hurts sometimes when you think about him, but you don’t regret your decision. You hope that one day, the two of you can be friends again, but right now, you can finally move on. You can leave behind the pain of losing your sister, the misery of Gaster, and the despair of being unseen.  You can never forget, but you won’t let it trap you in one place anymore.

You almost didn’t notice the bus coming to your stop. You thank the driver as you hop off and stretch your muscles. Checking your phone to see if your friends replied, you frown in disappointment to see that they hadn’t. You remember that Undyne is probably working right now since Frisk has a meeting at Toriel’s school and Alphys could be working on something important. But still, you can’t help the bubble of concern rising in you. As you walk up your driveway, you notice Daniel’s car in the driveway. Huh. You thought he’d be at the store right now. You shrug it off. As you try to insert your key in the door, you suddenly stop. The front door is slightly ajar and alarm bells ring in your head. You quickly dial the police and report a possible intruder in your house then hang up. You summon a small sliver of electricity in your palm, just in case.

You slowly push the door open and tread carefully down the hallway. Your heart stops when you see Daniel bound to a chair with a gag in his mouth. His eyes go wide  and shakes his head furiously as if he’s trying to tell you something.

“Put your hands up!” a man in a white mask emerged from the kitchen and points the gun at Daniel.

You lose all concentration of your magic as your attention is diverted to Daniel’s safety. Throwing your hands in the air, you comply, fear and anxiety coursing through you. You push aside your initial shock, but it’s too late.

“Cuff her. Now,” the mask man orders.

You are suddenly tackled from behind and your unseen assailant binds your hands in handcuffs, it cold metal grating against your skin. You replace your fear with rage and concentrate on the energy surrounding you. You try to manipulate the energy into electricity  in your palms, but no matter how hard you try, it wouldn’t obey. Come to think of it, you can’t sense the energy anymore. You concentrate with all your will, your determination, but you couldn’t produce a single spark. What the hell did they do to you?!

“Let him go! Who are you people!” you shriek.

For the first time in a long time, you are helpless.

The two attackers ignore you. The shorter one, the one who tackled you, turned to the other, “What do we do with him?”

“Leave him. The chief says to avoid any unnecessary deaths. Drug her and let's get out of here,” the taller one says.

The short intruder pulls a needle with clear liquid out of his pocket and strides toward you. Seeing the needle, you are thrown back into Gaster’s lab, his sinister face cackling as he injects  the magic into your soul. You screeched in fear, in pain, struggling against the attacker’s hold.

Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again. Never again.

“Hold still you wailing bitch,” the faceless attacker forces your head down and shoves the needle into your neck.

You feel every ounce of  the drug pouring in, relaxing your muscles.

It’s going to be okay, it says.

Just relax and close your eyes, it says.

Leave all your troubles to me, it says.

Finally you are pulled into a dreamless sleep.


	30. Escape?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and the others find yourselves in a jail cell

Sans groggily stirs as a throbbing pain stabs his vertebrae. He groans when a warm hand helps him sit up against the cold wall. Slowly, he opens his eye sockets and the gray world spins around him, but the warm hand steadies him, stroking his skull gently.

“Sans? Are you with me?” a soft voice asks him.

Sans’s gaze met yours, wide with worry.

“what’s going on?” his voice croaks.

“We are in a jail cell somewhere,” you respond, leaning away from him, “You’re

covered in ash, what happened to you?”

“uhh..” Sans racks through his memories with a grimace, “there was an attack at the meeting”

Shock spreads through your face then understanding.

“We underestimated how far the Righteous would go. I never would have anticipated an attack in broad daylight,”

“We really should’ve seen this coming,” Undyne punches the stone wall from another cell in the chamber.

A jolt of relief ran through him when he sees Papyrus sharing the same cell as Undyne, unharmed. He notices that all his friends are here too, along with Grillby and Muffet sharing the same cell beside him in the circular chamber. Sans could see five in total: Undyne and Paps in a cell across from his, Toriel and Frisk next to the entrance, Asgore and Alphys to his right, and Grillby and Muffet to his left.

Sans runs his fingers through the bars and tilts his head quizzically, “why don’t we just use magic to break these bars?”

“We have tried,” the king sighs.

“Look at your right wrist,” you point.

Sans does so and starts to pick at the white band cuffing him. A small red light flashes and no matter how much he pulls and tugs, the cuff would not budge.

“The band somehow blocks magic. I’m guessing it allows enough magic to go through to keep your physical forms, but not enough to summon an attack,” you explain.

Suddenly, the metal entrance slides open and a young, male guard saunters in with a smug smile and two trays of food. He slides one under Frisk’s cell and one under yours.

“Dinner,” the young guard says.

“What about the monsters?” Frisk demands.

“Scums don’t need food,” the guard smirked,”Besides those bands of yours are very expensive. We don’t need to use our valuable resources to feed trash. Keeping the world safe from magic isn’t cheap you know,”

You and Frisk turn as white as Sans’s skull.

The guard leaves the chamber and the door slams behind him. You push your dinner tray at Sans, which mainly consisted of white mush.

“Here. Share it with the others. I’m not hungry,” you pull your knees to your chest in a protective position.

“S-Same,” Frisk pushes their plate away.

None of the monsters seem enthusiastic about the food either, so the trays are left untouched.

“We have to get out of here! My spiders need me!” Muffet rattles the metal bars.

“We went over this. We have to stay patient and wait for an opportunity. Besides, the other missing monsters could be here too, we need to help them,” Grillby places a warm hand on her shoulders, calming her down, but not by much.

Sans sees you shaking in the corner with your head buried in your knees. He crawls over to you, sitting beside you, but allowing enough space. After what’s been going on with the two of you,  Sans isn’t sure if he’s the in the right position to comfort you, but he couldn’t just sit there and watch without doing anything. Your shoulders relax a little, but you remain silent. Sans sighs and watches the blinking light on his wrists.

* * *

 

“Chief Agnes, we’ve been expecting your arrival,” a low grunt salutes as Agnes steps off her private jet, Commander Lily trailing beside her.

“Of course you have. I ordered this mission. Show me the prisoners,” the chief commands  and the grunt  leads her through the large military base.

The soldier stops in front of a room  and swipes his key card, allowing the doors to open.

Chief Agnes turns and stops the commander, “Wait here,”

Confusion flickers in her eyes, but is quickly covered by indifference and she nods.

Agnes allows the doors to close behind her and she surveys the room. Large monitors display different areas of the base, but she is only interested in the prison chamber. She taps on one of the officer’s shoulders and asks him to zoom in on the cell with the skeleton and a human.

“At last, I finally have her. She’s the last thing we need to power the generator,” the chief chuckles.

The officer’s radio cracks, “Sir, the room has been prepped and is ready to receive the prisoner,”

“Would you like to execute the order, ma’am?” the officer asks.

Agnes pauses. Would this really work? This could end up killing her.

Click. Click. Static. Click. Static.

“Do it,”

* * *

 

You jolt awake by your door cell slamming open. Before you, stood the guard from before, holding a strange looking gun.

“You,” he points at you, “Get up.”

You spit at him, refusing to do anything he says. The impatient guard clenches his teeth and grabs you by your hair and drags you across the ground. You whimper loudly and Sans jumps to your aid, but the guard simply kicks him to the ground, giving him enough time to take you out and lock the door before Sans could do anything else. The other monsters shout in anger. You continue to stay down, refusing his demands. Fed up by your disobedience, the guard throws you over his shoulder. You fight and struggle in anyway you can. You know you aren’t strong enough to overpower him, but you insist on making his job as hard as possible.

Finally, once you are outside the chamber, the guard puts you down and points the gun at your back.

“Walk.”

Fearing for your life, you obey, walking down the long hallway. You pass by a wide window and your stomach lurches. Your soul thumps unnaturally and feels like you’ve been hit by a train.

You watch as Dogamy and Dogaressa are shoved into the same machine that you will never forget. You watch as the doors locked behind them, their pleads muffled by the door. A scientist pulls a lever and the machine whirs to life, sending out small, contained, white blasts and a piercing shriek. Slowing, the screams stopped. The doors open, revealing smoke and a large pile of dust.

Your heart clenches and you are spinning from past and present, a shiver running down your body, sending you shaking and breaking in hysteria. You can once again feel their pains, their fears all of their memories ripping your brain. Your breath shortens and everything is closing in on you as you feel their lives being extracted, their soul being sucked into an endless void. You clutch your chest to remind yourself that you are not at the labs you are here and everything is just a memory, but it’s no different is it? You couldn’t stop it then, and you can’t stop this now. How is this happening again?!  It can’t be!

“Hey! Move!” the guard shouts.

You hear him, but you can’t move. You are paralyzed. Now you realize why the gun looks so strange.

“I said move!” the guard pushes you to the ground and you slowly get up, weeping for the couple.

Every step for you is torture. Every step is one second closer to your possible death.  It takes every ounce of your willpower to put one foot in front of the other. Terror clouds your judgement; what will happen to you? What will happen to your friends? You stop dead in your tracks. Whatever they are planning for you, you doubt that you’ll survive. And you refuse to go down without a fight. You turn around at the guard and swing at his face, but he grabs your arm and twists it behind your back easily. You thrash around and his grip loosens a little, allowing you to break free and kick him in the stomach. He staggers back and you take his opportunity to run. You don’t get very far before you a blast hits your lower back and you are left, searing in pain from a hot energy.

As you are struggling to get back up and ignore the burns, your escort kicks you, sending you flying into the wall, “I was told not to kill you. But they never said anything about hurting you. If I had it my way, you’d already be dead,”

Probably not wanting to repeat the incident again, the guard grabs your limp body by your arm and drags you into a brightly lit, isolated room. In the center is a metal table with a man and woman in lab coats standing beside it. Wires hang from some kind of monitor and metal binds hang from the table. Sitting in a large tray, five needles filled with purple liquid sparkle in the light.

“W-What are you going to do to me?” your voice quivers.

Your escort straps you in, binding both your wrists and ankles, and the doctors

ignore you. The female doctor attaches thick cables to each of your binds,  and turns on the monitor. You struggle as much as you can, even though you know there is no point. The metal cuffs attaching you to the table is too strong. You whimper small pleads of mercy, knowing that that is also futile.

“Please! At least tell me what you are going to do to me,” you cry.  

The female doctor presses her finger against the bluetooth in her ear then nods at her coworker.

“We are going to extract your magic. Because you are not composed of magic like monsters, you won’t die,” the doctor picks up a needle and flicks it, “I’m sure you saw our magic extraction machine on the way here, yes? We are going to do the same to you, just a different method. The Chief wants you alive after all.”

The female doctor taps on the cables, “These will absorb the magic from you. Of course, you have to use it first…”

“What? How do you know about my magic? Who is the Chief?” your head spins with questions.

“Administering the first dose,”

Something pricks your arm and you are thrown into a fire. This is nothing like before. In the labs, your magic consumes you, leaving your skin melting on the blue tiles, but this, this is so different yet the same. You cry in agony as you your skin and core erupts into an explosion, burning you, scorching you. Daggers stab your vital organs, bleeding you into a dry death as a whirlwind tears you limb from limb. A tingle of electricity crawls down your arm, then a thunderstorm. Anything, please anything to relieve you! Your magic and soul reacts to the drug, releasing an immense amount of power to fight it. The bright lights flicker and the hum of energy fills your ears. Your magic wraps around you, trying to protect, but everything just becomes absorbed by the cables. You are encompassed by a golden static yet all you can do is scream and beg for someone to help you.

“Toriel! Daniel! Undyne!” you screech.

Sweat and tears mix together and the doctor’s cruel smiles looms over you.

“SANS!” your voice rips out his name, your soul calling out for him to save you.

Something flashes before you. A blue lollipop. An amusing pun. A glowing eye. Then they stabbed another needle in your neck.

* * *

Lily slowly rubs her wrists and ties her long hair into a bun. The Chief is taking quite a long time. She knows that she isn’t suppose to, but she can’t help but become curious as to what’s going on. Lily knows about the prisoners, she was the one that planned the attack after all, yet her boss wouldn’t let her see them. She sighs. The Chief knows best, she wouldn’t dare disobey her orders. After what felt like an hour, her boss walks out. Before the doors closed, Lily catches a glimpse at one of the monitors. Her eyes widened at the girl writhing on a metal table, a golden power radiating from her. It is only a glimpse. A second’s glimpse. But it is enough.

“Something wrong, Commander?” Chief Agnes notices the expression on Lily’s face.

“I just got a report of a disturbance with your carrier,” Lily lies.

The Chief rolls her eyes, “Go deal with it.”

Lily nods and once she is out of sight, she runs.

* * *

 

Sans paces around his cell, anxious to know where they’ve taken you. The slow drips of water from the ceiling doesn’t help calm him either.

“SANS, STOP YOUR PACING! IT’S VEXING!” Papyrus scolds.

“i can’t. i have to know what happened to her. aren’t you worried too?” Sans snaps.

“Of course we are. But we are powerless right now. We need to stick to the plan and hope for the best,” Toriel reminds him.

Sans sighs. The plan. Real convenient that they thought of it after you were taken away. For the third time that night, the metal door slides open and the guard returns, but this time with a middle age woman following him. Going by the way she carries herself, Sans guesses that she a very powerful person. She passes by his cell and sneers at him, then goes straight to Asgore.

“Hello, King Asgore. It’s nice to finally meet you. This time anyway,” the woman smirks.

Sans and Frisk shares a panicked look, the same revelation bouncing around their heads. Whoever this woman is, she is extremely dangerous.

“I apologize, I do not-”

“I am Chief Agnes,” the woman cuts the king off, “Director and leader of the Righteous,”

“So you are the bitch responsible for everything!” Undyne spat, fire blazing in her eyes.

The guard merely shoots his gun at the fish warrior, hitting her in the shoulder. The blast that came out of the gun was no bullet. Every monster in the room could feel what it is. Every monster in the Underground knows what pure monster magic looks like. They all quiver in shock, now realizing where the missing monsters went.

“I may be responsible for the monster’s deaths and disappearances, but don’t  pretend you are better than me,” the woman shakes her head, “I came by to see the great monster king before he falls. It will be my greatest pleasure to watch you turn to dust.”

The woman leaves , filling the chamber with a stiff, cold, silence.

“W-We need to get out of here,” Alphys cries.

Undyne stares at her wife, forlornly. At least Frisk and Alphys have to get out.  Taking a deep breath, the fish warrior howled loudly and repeatedly until a very annoyed guard storms in.

“What are you doing?!” the guard shouts.

“It’s my shoulder. You shot me earlier and it hurts,” Undyne clenches her injury.

“Come on, aren’t you suppose to be head of the royal guard or something? Suck it up,” the guard rolls his eyes.

“No, look, it’s really bad,” Undyne steps closer to the bars.

Out of curiosity, the guard steps closer to inspect it. With a sly smile, Undyne reaches through the bars and tightly grabs hold of the guard’s neck, choking him. The guard gasps for air, struggling against her muscular grip. His face turns bright red  until he finally passes out. Taking his opportunity, Undyne reaches for his keys hooked on the guard’s belt and unlocks her cell. Throwing her fist up in victory, Undyne and Papyrus exits and frees everyone else.

“Okay, Sans and Papyrus, go find ____. Toriel, Alphys, and Frisk, find a way out of here and bring back up. Asgore, Grillby, Muffet and I will see if we can find any other monsters,” the warrior orders.

“How are we supposed to fight without our magic? They’ll kill us for sure!” Muffet points out.

The monsters follow Sans’s gaze at the gun. Everyone shifts uneasily, reluctant to use it. Without warning, the monster’s bracelets beeps twice and the red light flashes green. With a click,  all the cuffs fall to the ground with a clutter.

“wow that was lucky, “ Sans grabs hold of Papyrus’s hand, “let’s go paps.”

* * *

 

“Please, that’s enough. I can’t take anymore,” you huff.

By now, you’ve run out of tears and breath. Sweat drips all over your body and you can barely lift your head from fatigue.

The male doctor holds up the final dosage and looks at the monitors, “Your vitals are stable enough for one more,”

You couldn’t even gather the strength to protest or fight back. You just close your eyes and hope the Void isn’t as bad as last time.

The anticipation is worse. Dragging out the inevitable is torture, but when you hear a glass shatter, your eyes fly open. The male doctor screams as a bone impales his wrists, blood spilling all over the white room and onto his white lab coat. The female doctor runs to assist him, but then another attack flies straight into her shins, causing more blood to run like a river. Upon seeing the escaped skeletons, the doctors limp out, screaming for their lives. Papyrus release your binds and you hastily scamper off the table, but you fall, only to be caught by Sans.

“Sans!” you cry in relief, holding him tightly. This is real. He is real.

“you’re okay. i’m here now,” the skeleton strokes your head.

“Sans, the monsters…”

“we know. we’re already on it. first, let’s get you out of here,”

You let go of him and try to stand up. Your knees buckle and you lose all your

strength,  toppling forward. Once again, Sans is able to catch you.

“you’re okay, sugar,” Sans motions for his brother, “hang onto paps.”

The tall skeleton crouches down and you swing onto his back. Papyrus slides his arms under your knees and lifts you up.

“Hi Papy,” you croak.

“Hello, human,” the skeleton greets cheerfully and sprints down the long hallway.

You must’ve dozed off because when you’ve come to, the brothers had stopped.

“Boys? What’s going on?” you ask quietly.

“Something’s wrong. We’ve been wandering for ten minutes and there are no guards, no workers, nobody,” Sans replies.

Papyrus steadily approaches a large door, “Maybe this is the exit? It’s the only way we haven’t tried,”

Sans slowly twists the knobs and both skeletons enter, but is suddenly knocked to the ground. Papyrus drops you and something cold presses at the back of your head.  

“Don’t even try it! Any signs of magic or an attack and one of you gets it!” a soldier shouts at Papyrus as he readies a bone.

The tall skeleton puts the attack away in defeat.  You notice all your other friends are in the same position as you: kneeling with hands in the air and a gun pointed to the back of the head. You sniff and the smell of cedar is strong. Moonlight breaks through the glass-stained windows and candles gently reflects the religious symbol. You can’t help but think that this is a odd place for a church.   One of the soldiers drag you to the center of the circle. You stare at the ground, refusing to look up.

“I don’t know how your bracelets came loose, but it doesn’t matter. This is but a small hiccup,”

That voice!

Your head springs up and your eyes widen. The sky drops on your soul  and the earth stops spinning. She has aged. Gray streaks highlights her hair and crinkles has formed around her eyes and cheeks. Her voice is colder and rougher, but this is undoubtedly, unmistakably her.

“Mother?” your whisper is barely audible.

Her eyes soften at you, “My beautiful daughter. Look at how you’ve grown,”

“How is-”

“There is someone who wants to see you,” Agnes smiles.

Loud footsteps echo throughout the room and your heart is squeezed into liquid.

“Lily?” you squeak.

“Hey Sis. It’s good to see you again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooo yes. It's been a while since I posted a long chapter. I stayed up to 5 am typing this chapter up so let me know if you find any error that my sleep deprived mind might have missed. Also, I'm not going to have internet til Monday so I'll answer all your questions then. (I'm sure you have many!)
> 
> Follow me on tumblr where I post update status on the fic and I write little trivia about the world of What We Have Built!  
> [Click here! ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)


	31. Ultimatum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last memory. The final choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh just a short chapter before finals. wish me luck guys
> 
> [Follow me on Tumblr~ ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

“One… two… three, and blow!” 

Lily sucked in a breath, scrunched her eyes and blew the hardest breath her tiny lungs could muster. The candle flickered slightly then went out like a dying stair. Your sister smiled sweetly as you pulled the candle from the vanilla cupcake, pink frosting coated the candle. 

“So what did you wish for?” you asked. 

“I can’t tell you or else it won’t come true!” Lily giggled as she took a bite of the cupcake then wiping the frosting from her mouth with her sleeve. 

“Come on, I’m your big sister, you can tell me anything,” you tickled her stomach until you were both on the floor breathless and laughing. 

Your ears perked up when you hear  a set of keys jingling. Pulling your sister off the floor, you dust off the dirt off her dress to make her look presentable as possible. 

“Hello my darlings!” Agnes stumbled into the dining room. Alcohol reeked her clothes and her words slurred and remained high pitched. 

“Mama!” Lily scrambled away from you and hugged your mother. 

“Oh, Lily, my love, you’re too precious,” Agnes kissed her youngest child on the cheek, “I could never ask for a more perfect daughter,”

Your mother sets your sister down then spotted the cupcake on the table. 

“Oh yum,” Agnes shoved the cake down her throat then licked her fingers. 

Beside you, Lily whimpered quietly and you shushed her, promising that you’ll buy her another one. 

“Mhmhm!” That was delicious. Did one of you make this?” Agnes asked. 

You shook your head, “I bought it from the bakery across from school. You know the one with the cute roof?”

“Oh? What’s the occasion?” Agnes threw her coat on the chair.

“It’s my birthday!” Lily replied. 

“Ah I see! Happy birthday, my love,” Agnes patted her youngest on her head, “______, can you bring me my dinner? I’m starving.”

Your mother sprung onto the couch, stretching her limbs. You sighed and told your sister to play quietly in the bedroom. Lily shook her head, her eyes pleading for you to play with her, but you gave her a stern look and she shrunk away. Looking through the kitchen pantry, you opened a can of clam chowder and popped it into the microwave. After two minutes, you brought it to your mother, careful not to burn yourself. Agnes scarfed down her meal ravenously.  You sighed and crossed your arms, shaking your head in disappointment. 

“What? What’s with that look?” Agnes growled.

You jumped, not realizing that your mother had seen you, “Nothing, Mama,”

“You don’t look at me like that unless you think I did something wrong,” Agnes snapped.

“It’s not important Mama. Enjoy your meal,” you tried to walk away, but Agnes grabbed your hand.

“I asked you a question, child,” her glare was cold enough to freeze oceans. 

You tried your best to remain calm, knowing that anger could cost you some blood, “I just thought it was very inappropriate of you to come home drunk again. Tonight of all nights,”

“Who cares if I come home drunk? It's my life and it's my house,” Agnes huffed, “Besides I didn’t know it was Lily’s birthday,”

“You’re her mother, you’re suppose to know,” you snapped, “What kind of role model are you setting for Lily? Coming home drunk every day, bringing home strangers. What am I supposed to tell her? She’ll grow up like you!”

“Stupid girl, what did I say about talking back?” Agnes backhanded you hard, “You’re just like my mother, always telling me what to do, judging me for my choices,”

You quickly recovered from the slap, but you didn’t stop, “Well if I didn’t, then we’d be out on the streets! Face it, Mother, you need me!”

Agnes shoved you into the wall, your head made a loud thud. Lily threw open the door, pleading your mother to stop with wide horrified eyes. She was probably watching the whole thing. Agnes shouted at your sister to go away and mind her own business, but Lily was persistent.

“Go, Lily. It’s going to be okay,” you begged. You didn’t want her to get hurt too. 

Luckily, your little sister reluctantly shrank back into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. 

“I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone,” you could smell her hot, rancid breath on your face.

“Who’s going to cook for you? To keep the house tidy? To remind you to pay the bills? You. Need. Me” you pushed her back defiantly.

Agnes didn’t respond. Instead, steam fumed out of her ears and grabbed a fistfull of your hair and tugged hard until you were whimpering on your knees. She swung the front door open and tossed you onto the cold cement. Your mother gave you one last kick and slammed the door on your face, locking you out forever. You screamed in response, chucking a rock at the door in frustration. 

The full moon hung high as the starlight shined dimly. You could hear the cricket’s songs and the passing cars in the distance. You’d never admit this, but a small part of you felt relieved. 

You’ll show her. She’ll see how much she needs you. But by then, it’d be too late. 

With that in mind, you picked yourself up and followed the trail to Mt. Ebott. 

* * *

 

“H-how i-is this...what…?” you voice shakes breathily. 

Your thoughts become a blur and your head throbs like a heartbeat. You are falling out of touch with reality, like any moment now, you’d wake up in Daniel’s house with freshly brewed coffee on the counter and your favorite cereal waiting for you. But this is not a dream. You are awake. This is happening right now. 

“All will be explained in time, my darling,” Agnes gently cuffs your face, swiping away a tear with her thumb.

You surrender to her touch, to her love. All you ever wanted was this, and now it’s right there in front of you. You can see it now, you and your family together, laughing and smiling. No more pain. No more tears. All you had to do was simply reach out and grab it. 

“get your hands off her you bitch,” Sans’s shouts breaks you out of your trance and you immediately recoil from your mother. 

You remember the same hand that slapped you, beat you til you bled, and threw you out the door. Agnes senses your shift and her face twists in a scowl that you recognize all too well. She stomps over to the smaller skeleton, fuming in hatred. 

“You. I hate you the most. You corrupted my beautiful daughter by putting your disgusting monster hands on her,”Agnes raises the butt of her gun fully prepared to strike him. 

You growled and wrapped your magic around her gun and fling it across the room. The skittering of the metal echoes through the wood floor. Your mother and your sister blinked in disbelief, but both regained their composure.  Agnes grabs Frisk and a spare gun, pointing it to their head. 

“Go. This is a family matter,” the Chief dismisses her guards.

Frisk squirms against your mother’s hold, but her grip is firm. 

“Darling I’m going to give you a choice,” the candles flicker darkly  behind her, casting a shadow over her aging face, “You can choose to die with these disgusting monsters or you can choose us, your family. I was the one who fed you, bathed you, kept you safe and warm. We can start over, you, me, and Lily, where you’re meant to be,”

You look over to your sister, the light of your life, the one you love the most. Her green eyes penetrate your soul, unreadable. After mourning for so long, you can barely accept that this is real. You hated yourself for not being able to save her, yet she is right here, alive and well, something you never thought possible. Still, you don’t hesitate.

“I choose my family,” you say confidently.

“That’s wonderful my dear!” Agnes cheers gleefully, “Then-”

“No you misunderstand. I choose my family,” you interrupt defiantly,” You may be 

my mother, but you were never a mom to me. Not then, not ever. I’d rather die with these monsters than spend another second of my life with you,”

“Sis…”for the first time that night, Lily breaks her emotionless facade in front of you. A flurry of shock, hurt, and awe flashes in her eyes. 

Agnes flinched away from you like you carried some disease. Her grip tightens around Frisk.

“You’re right. I’ll never be your mom. You’re not my daughter,” tears swell up in her eyes but she wiped her face and her stone cold manner returns, “Lily. Eliminate.”

Your sister steps forward, pointing the gun to your head. Never in a million years would you have thought you’d get to this point. Your long lost sister, resurrected from the dead, seconds away from killing you. You mouthed an apology to her for once again, making the selfish choice. Even though she’s about to end your life and everyone that you love, you’ll never be able to hate her. 

Her hands shakes as she level the gun towards you, her emotionless demeanor shattering completely. She is whimpering like she use to, her face red from the tears staining her cheeks. Lily mutters something under her breath, but you couldn’t hear. A sob escapes her and tears fly onto your cheeks. You smile at her, just like you use to do, telling her it’s okay, that you forgive her. 

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Agnes taps her foot impatiently. 

Something within your sister snaps and you see a newfound strength forms within her. Lily swiftly turns away from you and pulls the trigger on your mother; the bullet hitting her straight in her right shoulder. Agnes screams in agony and the distraction allows Frisk to escape. 

“Everyone go! The exit is that way!” Lily shouts, pointing at the opposite door. 

The monsters and human child stampede through the exit, relieved for keeping their lives. You linger behind, extending your hand to your sister. 

“Come with us,” you smile. 

Lily flinches in surprise. Looking back at your writhing mother and the guards storming the church,  she takes your hand and the two of you flee into the cold woods. 


	32. Heartbreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and your team work together to bring down the Righteous once and for all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow this chapter took a lot of me haha. I think this is the final conflict chapter for this arc. The next chapter is basically wrapping everything up. We still have a couple more chapters before this arc ends though, I have a few more things planned, but this is the end of the angst for a while. BACK TO THE FLUFF FINALLY. I CAN DEFINITELY SAY THAT IM THE MOST EXCITED ABOUT THAT MORE THAN ANYONE. I also just caught up with Yuri!!! on Ice and episode 10 was so adsfdflkds;fd. It'll fuel the fluff later on. 10 points to anyone who can find the Corpse Party reference (I just finished the game as well)   
>  
> 
> [ Follow me on Tumblr~ ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com)

You cough rapidly as your knees sank to the ground, your throat as dry as the desert night. The moist soil pile under your nails and you roll over to throw up. Your head is spinning fast as the pressure pounds behind your eyes.  You grip a nearby tree hard and ignore the painful splinters stabbing through your skin.

“______!” your friends cry out your name, all surrounding you.

Your breath quickens and you’re gasping for air and your heart beats loud and hard like a drum.

“everyone back away!” Sans commands, his eye flashing blue.

Through your haze, you could’ve sworn Lily shooting him a dirty look.

“talk to me, tell me what’s wrong,” the skeleton wraps his arms around you, but you couldn’t muster the energy to respond.

“She’s tired,” Lily answers for you, “She was hooked up to a metal slab and injected with poison to cause her immense pain to sap her magic less than an hour ago. Not to mention the emotional toll of having to face our mother again.”

“I’m fine,” you lean your head on Sans’s chest, “Just give me a minute.”

In the distance, shouts echo through the woods.

“We don’t have a minute. We have to go now,” Undyne says urgently.

Lily points to the direction ahead of them, “If you keep going in that direction, you’ll find a road. Follow it and you’ll reach the nearest city. You’ll be safe there.”

You grab your sister’s arm, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going back. You want to destroy the Righteous once and for all right? I know a way,”

You crawl out of Sans’s arms and look straight into her green eyes, “I am not leaving you alone ever again,”

Lily shakes her head, “Sis, you can barely walk. You won’t survive if you go back.”

You stand up, fighting your weak knees and gathering the undercurrent of electricity in your soul. You squeeze her shoulders tight.

“I. Am. Not. Leaving. You.” you announce firmly.

Your soldier sister hesitates, then sighs, “Fine.”

“i’ll come too. just to make sure nothing happens to her,” Sans volunteers.

“Me too, you’ll need my strength,” Undyne steps forward.

Lily opens her mouth to protest, but one look from you and she agreed.

“The rest of you head back. We’ll find you later,” Undyne commands.

“How do we know it’s not a trap?” Muffet bites.

Everyone turns their heads at Lily in distrust. A surge of protectiveness washes over you.

“My sister wouldn’t lie,” you defend.

“Human, she did help kidnap us and held us prisoners,” Asgore reasons.

“Well it’s the only lead you have right now. Feel free to get lost,” you snarl at the king.

Sans puts a hand on your shoulder, “He’s right. Your sister hasn’t exactly been the good guy,”

A burst of energy ripples through you in anger. You clench your fist and burst of magic shoots through your knuckles, but Lily steps forward and hands Alphys a black device.

“Here. It’s a tracking system. I used it to track any intruders or escapees. I’m sure you’ll find your back with it,”

Alphys apprehensively takes the device.

“You have every reason not to trust me. But right now, I don’t have time to deal with that. This is our one shot at bringing this organization down,”

You are struck in awe by the power of Lily’s words. Is this really your sister?

“we need to move now,”Sans states.

Undyne takes hold of Alphys’s hands and kisses her on the mouth, “Be safe,”

“You too, Undyne,” the yellow monster kisses back and you watch your friends disappear behind the trees.

A tug pulls at your heart, but you shake it off. There are more important things to worry about. A bush nearby rustles and two soldiers emerge. One of them opens their mouth to call for backup, but a bone and a spear knocks them both out before a sound could be made. Lily raids their bodies, tossing you a gun and a few mags.

Looking at your sister, shivers run down your spine. Gone was the little girl whose smile was sweeter than candy, whose laughter cured diseases, whose innocence kept you sane. In her place stands a soldier, her posture straight and disciplined, her eyes cold and emotionless and her hands stained with dust. Little by little, your heart breaks, knowing that it was all your fault.

“hey,” you jump from Sans’s voice as he gently holds your hand, “heh, sorry didn’t mean to rattle your bones. you okay?”

You pull away, “Yeah, I’m just thinking,”

“So what’s the plan?” Undyne asks your sister.

“Do you remember seeing the extraction machine in one of the labs?”

You nod solemnly while Undyne and Sans glare with hate.

Lily just ignores them, “Attached to it in another room is a generator. Mother was going to use that to destroy all traces of magic.”

“What?! That would mean…”

“Yes. Killing all monsters. That’s probably she was so keen on getting your magic out of you. Also to fuel it as well. Ironically, it needs magic to work,”

“That’s horrible,” you whisper to yourself.

Lily just shrugs, “The thing is like a bomb. If you overheat it with magical energy, it won’t have the capacity to contain it and it will blow up, taking down the entire base.”

“and us with it,” Sans points out.

Lily’s expression darkens, “That part I’m working on. I will not lose my sister again,”

“Guys, talk later. We’ve got company,” Undyne shouts.

“Traitor!” a soldier yells while his partner readies his gun.

You and Lily fire your shots and both members fell, but more replaced them until you are surrounded.

“Commander! Turn these monsters over and we won’t have to shoot!” a female soldier bargains.

Something sparks behind her eyes and she tilts her head, seriously contemplating the possibility.

“Lily?!” you growl in shocked disappointment.

Your sister turns to you, frustration flashing.

“If you want to get to them, you’ll have to get through me,” Lily takes aim and shoots the guard in her head.

The other humans rally for their fallen friends, but a rain of spears shoots down from the sky, each human falling at their mercy.

“Get to the generator! I got this!” Undyne blocks an attacker and you run back into the base.

* * *

 

“Stop right there!” a random guard points his gun and  you shoot without thinking, ignoring the dead eyes as the body drops to the floor.

You, Lily, and Sans sprints down the long hallway, bone and bullets flying everywhere. One human charges at you, but you duck, swiping your legs over his feet, tripping him. Lily shoots a bullet into his back and the soldier lays still. One stray bullet scrapes against your sister’s neck, but she doesn’t flinch. Fury burst in you and you mindlessly send a wave of electricity at his chest. You watch you convulse then slump against the wall, the familiar scent of burning flesh doesn’t even bother you anymore. 

“Almost there!” Lily’s steps become faster.

Beside you, Sans fires a gaster blaster, shattering the windows. Magic sparks in your palms and you solidify two large spikes, hurling them right into the remaining soldier’s chests. One of them missed, but you summon a large tentacle, wrapping around the soldier and flinging him across the hallway. You thought you heard something splatter, but you don’t pay attention it.

“We’re here,” Lily swipes her key card, but the scanner beeps red. She throws her useless card in frustration.

“step aside, ladies,” you and Lily stand behind Sans and he fires a blaster at the metal door.

“So you’re useful after all,” Lily mutters under her breath. Sans pretends not to hear, “There will be more coming. Stand guard while I find a way to blow this thing up without getting killed.”

“We can’t just leave him here!” you exclaim, your frustration levels rising.

“it’s cool. i can handle it. i’m one tough bone,” the skeleton winks, “besides, if i need anything, i’ll call for backup,”

You sigh and let it go, knowing that it’d be useless to protest. The two of you approach the large generator. You whistle, impressed by its size and structure. The generator itself is a tube like machine, with two metal cubes supporting it, allowing it to dangle a few feet above ground. Meaningless lights dash across the cube and attached to is some kind of monitor and a keyboard. Lily begins typing away.

“What the hell is your problem?” you couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Now is not the time, Sis,”

“Were you really thinking about leaving Sans an Undyne back there?” you press on.

Your sister ignores you.

“Lily!”

Your little sister sighs and stops typing, “Yes,”

Hurt must’ve been written all over your face since Lily doesn’t meet your gaze.

“I could’ve just taken you and run far away. We could’ve gone somewhere without Mom or monsters. Just you and me,”

“I love you, Lily, but these monsters are my friends,” a crackle of energy pulses in you.

“Yeah I got that,” Lily murmurs.

“It’s not just that. You’ve been acting cold to them this whole time. Since you rescued us, I thought that you cared-”

“I don’t care about the monsters, I only care about you! In fact, I wouldn’t mind if they all just dropped dead!” tears roll down your sister’s cheek, “I don’t understand. Why did you choose them over me?!”

“This isn’t like you, Lily. You use to be so kind…” you reach out to touch her.

“You wanna know what happened? You left! The monsters took you away from me! I had to grow up with _her!_ I thought you were dead, you know. Then you just show up and I thought we could be a family again, but you chose _them._ I just don’t understand.”

Your sister falls to the floor, sobbing into her hands. You wrap your arms around her, letting her bury her face into your shirt. You gently stroke your sister’s silk hair and rocked her back and forth like you use to as kids.

“We can still be a family. But these monsters are my family too. If something happened to them, I would never be able to live with myself,” you say softly.

“But you’re fine with leaving me to rot,” Lily pushes you away, her words dripping with venom.

You shake your head, “No Lily, I wasn’t. It’s because of you I died,”

Confusion spreads across her face.

“I’ll explain later. My point is, monsters aren’t so bad. Will you give them a chance? Please?”

Lily hesitates, wiping the tears from her eyes, “...okay.”

You help your sister up, “Just curious but if you didn’t care, then why are you helping them?”

“I’m doing this for you,” Lily replies quietly, “Anyway I figured it out,”

Lily shoots a panel open and starts pulling on the wires, “According to the data, the generator is at 80% capacity. When it reaches 100, it’d be able to wipe out magic. However, it’s voice activated so only the Chief could make the call. If we could overload the senses without the activation, it’ll explode.”

Your sister points to a black box, “This box right here takes the magic and slowly streams to the core. Once we overload it, we’ll have about two minutes before it goes boom.”

“Wow, where did you learn this stuff?” you ask, amazed.

“I oversaw the development of this project since the beginning. I had the engineer walk me through everything,” Lily shrugs, “Now channel your magic and aim it there.”

“Got it,” you gently nudge your sister aside and trace the energy waves under your skin.

You feel the electricity roll form your arms to your hands as the power forms in your palms and fire at the black box. Already, you could feel yourself at your limit. Usually, your endurance is much higher, but today’s events really took a toll on you. You sister watches you with awe, then swap places with Sans who helps you with his Gaster Blasters. Sweat drips down your forehead, but you don’t stop.

“Guys! Hurry it up! More soldiers are coming!” Lily warns from the entrance.

“i got this. go help her,” Sans says.

You nod gratefully and rush to the aid of your sister. Immediately drawing your gun, you fire at anyone in uniform. You don’t register your shots, every inch of regret and sorrow buried underneath your fierce desire to protect your sister. One of the soldiers bring in a machine gun, but you summon a shield to block all bullets. Through your waning power, the bullets cracks through your shield, but luckily, Lily managed to take him out with one hit. A knife flies past your face and you summon a bolt of lightning to strike him down.

An earth shattering scream rips through the arena of bullets and in the corner of your eye, you watch your sister fall in slow motion.

“Lily!” you scream as her gun clatters to the floor.

You rush by her side, surrounding yourself in a bubble to protect yourself from the gunfight. You pull your baby sister to your chest, vision distorted, and the world coming to a stand still. Your breath is the only sound you can hear while everything else becomes muted in white. You can’t lose her. Not again. Not like this.

You shriek as your clothes become stained with her blood. Everything. Everyone. It is all too much. Watching stars falling upon you, you release a burst of the most powerful energy you could form, killing anything in its path. Your chest heaves heavily as all the pain you’ve endured comes stabbing through, cracking your soul further. You hastily call out your soul, needing to see it yourself. Black and gray lines expand from every corner of your golden heart, cracking, cracking, until there’s nothing you can do to stop it.

Sans rushes outside after hearing your screams and taking one look, he springs to action. The skeleton quickly takes your exposed soul and wraps his magic around it like bind, rather than a blue attack. He then pushes it back inside you and teleports you and Lily outside the facility, where Undyne reunites with you.

All of a sudden, the military base bursts like fireworks on Fourth of July, debris flying everywhere. A wave of heat hits your face, but luckily, Sans teleported far away enough to not get hit. Flames rages on, consuming the evil in its path, reminding you somehow of a blossoming flower.

You knees buckle and fall to the floor as your strength leaves you. With all the adrenaline gone, you could barely hold yourself up. Still, it isn’t over. You glance over at your dying sister in your arms and you know that you could not rest until she is safe. Sans helps you up, but you clutch onto him, begging him. You know that he is equally exhausted and running low on magic, but right now, he’s your only hope.

“Sans, please?” you beg through your tears.

The skeleton nods and you hand over your sister. His eyes flash but, but before he could teleport away, a screech as high as a banshee rips through the woods.

“YOU’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!” Agnes raises her gun at Sans and pulls the trigger.

You don’t even think. Every voice, every whisper, every scream, moves your body in front of Sans, your golden magic wrapping around the small bullet and aim it back at your mother, flying straight into her head. Your mother’s eyes remain wide and her mouth agape, forever frozen in a shocked scream. Blood from her forehead rolls down her face, crimson like the petals of a rose. Her body ungracefully hits the dirt.

Invisible hands claw your throat as a knife runs through your soul repeatedly. If it wasn’t for Sans’s magic keeping it together, you’re sure it would’ve shattered by now. Your heart beats fast like a hummingbird’s wing and it feels like it’s going to burst while your guts turn inside out.

“Take her to the hospital. I’ll watch over her,” you hear Undyne say to Sans, but you don’t register it.

You’re paralyzed, facing the judgement, the consequences before you. Finally, you step forward.

“Mama?” your soft, low voice quivers.

You kneel to the ground, wrapping your arms around the warm body. It’s almost like she’s sleeping and still alive, but her wide eyes confirms that she’s not.

“Mama!” you cry out, burying you face into her chest.

You could almost feel her hands in your hair, singing you to sleeping with the crickets chirping by the window sill and your legs tangled together for warmth.

“I’m so sorry!”

You don’t know how long you’ve been sobbing over your dead mother’s body, but eventually, Undyne coaxes you away. You wipe away your tears and collapse in your friend’s arms.

* * *

 

Beeping. That’s the only thing you heard as you float in the darkness. Rythmatic. Monotone. Occasionally, you’d hear muffled voices, but you could never make them out. But you know you’re being watched. Suddenly, a bright light appears and you swim towards it. You reach out, brushing the edge of the light with your fingertips.

You wake up with a bright light shining in your eyes and a pinch in your arms. You groan and turn your head to find the source. Panic rises within you when you notice the needle taped to your arm. Before you could let out a scream, a bony hand covers your mouth and another grips your arm tight.

“shh. shh. it’s okay, it’s just me. you’re okay,” Sans urgently holds you in place with his magic so you don’t hurt yourself.

The monitor's beeping becomes faster and the skeleton shifts in alarm, “hey calm down. you’re safe. no one here is going to hurt you.”

The beeping slows down, but your eyes are still full of fear.

“i’m going to move my hand okay? then i’ll let go of your soul,”

You nod in understanding and Sans releases you.

“Get it out,” you beg, your throat thick and scratchy.

Sans pushes a call button and soon a nurse enters the room. Sans explains your situation and she nods in understanding.

“I could remove the IV, but you’re going to have to consume a lot of water on your own,” the nurse explains.

“I don’t care, just get it out,” you plead.

The nurse complies, “I’m going to have to keep the heart rate oximeter on your finger though,”

The nurse cleans up her materials, leaving you alone with Sans. An uncomfortable silence passes between you too.

“knock knock,” the skeleton finally says.

“Who’s there?”

“broken pencil,”

“Broken pencil who?”

“ah, nevermind, it’s a pointless joke,”

You burst out in laughter and you feel your soul being lifted up, lighter, not quite as heavy. Your chest heaves as you are sore in that area, but for a stupid joke, you couldn’t stop.

“glad to see you smiling again. otherwise my joke would’ve been in vein,” Sans winks.

“Sans stop!” you fumble through your words and you laugh harder.

“come on, you can’t be sick of my puns already,” the skeleton laughs with you.

Your laughter dies down, but the lightness remains and suddenly, you two are old friends again.

“Where are we?” you ask.

“greenwood county hospital,” Sans replies, “about five hours away from home. i already called daniel to let him know you’re alright. he wanted to come, but i convinced him not to. figured you have some stuff you want to deal with right now.”  

“What happened to me?”

“you were in a coma for three days,” Sans’s voice falters, “the doctors said that your body was exhausted like you hadn’t had rest for a week. they had to give to nutrients through the iv,”

Sans asks you to call out your soul and you did, the golden heart floating inches in front of you. You’re not surprised at how frail it is, the cracks running deeper and further. The color is almost non-existent; where instead of the bright gold that it once was, your soul is now a pale yellow, weak and dull like a dying flame.

“i almost lost you back there. you gave me quite a workout, heh,” Sans reaches out to touch your soul, but you pull away, “your soul was inches away from shattering, so i had to bind it with my magic. when you… killed the chief, your soul resisted against my binds. i had to really concentrate to keep it together,”

Your expression darkens at the mention of your mother, “Then how am I alive right now?”

“after you passed out, it made it easier to hold your soul together. alphys and toriel came in before the doctors to stabilize it. alphys advises you not to use your magic at all for a while. you need to let it heal your soul and body,” Sans stresses the importance of the last instruction.

You shift in a comfortable position, your body as heavy as lead, “My sister. Where’s Lily?”

Sensing the desperation in your voice, Sans calms you down, “Lily is alive. I brought her here as fast as I could,”

You sigh in relief, the sky lifted from your shoulders, “I want to see her,”

You try to get up, but Sans gently pushes you back, “no can do. the doctor said you can’t get out of bed until he’s cleared you. besides, the doctors said that lily cannot be disturbed right now. she was shot in the leg and loss a lot of blood. i think she just got out of surgery,”

“Surgery? Why would she need surgery?” your voice quivers.

Something flickers in Sans’s expression, but it was too quick for you to make out what it was, “the bullet was deep in there, i think.”

You huff in frustration and you lean against your bed. Finally, you let your defenses down and bury your face in your hands.

“I killed my mother,” you sob, the impact hitting you like a train, “I just killed her and I didn’t even think about it!”

Sans runs his fingers through your palm,“she was a horrible person,”

“I know she was!” you choke out, “But no matter what, she was my mom. She loved me at one point and I loved her. I can live knowing that she’s dead, but the fact that I killed her, it’s unbearable. She was a shitty person and a shitty mom, but without her, I wouldn’t have exist, you know?”

Your breathing stops and realization dawns on  you. After all this time, you feel your guts twist and your head keeps spinning. You desperately want to throw up, but you held it in.

“Oh fuck, Sans I’m so sorry,” you cover your mouth in shock, “I never apologized to you about Gaster. You had every right to push me away. I understand now, I understand how you feel. I never should've-”

You gasp, choking on a lump in your throat, “Oh god, I even turned our friends against you-”

“stop,” Sans closes his eyes, rubs his temples, then opens them again, “please let’s stop this. i don’t want to fight or argue anymore. i’m tired. pushing you away was the biggest mistake of my life and i will always regret hurting you. all this anger, all this ignoring each other is pointless and it’s hurting both of us,”

You suck in a breath and smile brightly, a calming warmth spreads through your soul, “Despite everything, we turned out alright, didn’t we?”

Sans butts his forehead against yours affectionately, “friends?”

“Friends,” you move over, giving Sans some room and he crawls in the bed with you.

Your fingers intertwine and you listen to each other’s soul beat. His warmth spreads to you and you wrap your legs around his while you rest your head on his ribs. The two of you lay in contented silence, both understanding the unspoken words passed.

Hours later, a doctor comes in to check on you and after looking at some charts and giving you medical advice for a faster recovery, he clears you. Sans brings you a change of clothes that Undyne bought for you and leaves the room for your privacy. You slip on the simple loose white t-shirt and skinny jeans, the soft fabric rubbing against your skin.

“Where are the others?” you ask, exiting the room.

“they’re staying in a motel nearby. i called them to let them know that you woke up,”

You nod, “I want to see my sister,”

Sans leads you down a busy hallway and into the elevator, pressing floor seven. The skeleton remains oddly quiet as he he escorts you. He then gestures to a door, but stops you before you go in.

“your sister is alive, but…” he sighs, “she was shot in the leg and lost a lot of blood. somehow the bullet clotted her arteries and…”

“And what?” you heart thumps against your chest, afraid of the answer.

“they had to amputate her right leg,”

Your eyes widen and you burst into the hospital room screaming your sister’s name. Your heart stops and bleeds at the sight before you. Lily is sitting up, her long hair cascading down her back. She stares at her leg, where everything below her knee is gone, leaving nothing but a bloody bandaged stump.

“Lily… it’s okay. We can get you through this. You’re going to be fine,” you grasp her cold hands in yours.

Her laugh rings hollow and lifeless, “Fine? Look at me!”

“We’ll figure something out, don’t worry,” you kiss her on the forehead.

Silence.

“Sans said that you killed our mother,” her emotionless tone returns.

“I did,” you reply, fearing her response.

Lily stays quiet. A minute passes. Two. Then three.

“Good.”

“You’re not angry?” you ask.

Your sister shakes her head, “After you left, Mom was never the same. She treated me differently, her beatings got worse and worse. Then she went crazy,”

“I’m sorry. I never wanted this life for you. I never wanted it to turn out this way,”

“I was so… angry at you for the longest time,” Tears drip onto her frail hands, “Why did you leave me? Why didn’t you take me with you?”

You wipe the tears from her red face, “I tried to. I did everything I could to come back for you,”

“It looks like we both have stories to tell,” Lily sniffles.

“Yeah. We do,” you sigh, “It started when I climbed Mt. Ebott…”

 


	33. Kill Them With Kindness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the angsty part of this arc comes to a close

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS IT! IT'S FINALLY OVER! IT'S THE END OF THE STORM GUYS! NO MORE ANGST FROM HERE ON OUT (for this arc anyway)

The sun breaks through the horizon as wisps of orange and pink ripple through the cloudless sky. The study commute flows into the loud streets. Bakers, teachers, coffee shop owners all open their doors for another ordinary day. 

Despite the light carving its way through the darkness outside, a shadow crosses Lily’s face as she clenches her fists tightly, turning her knuckles white.

“...okay,” Lily chokes out in a strained voice. 

“Okay?” you cock an eyebrow, “Usually people have more of a reaction than that,”

“I don’t know what to think!” your sister throws her hands up in frustration, “I’ve never been more angry in my life and I can’t do anything about it!”

Lily takes a deep breath and the hospital lights dims.

“Ten years. Ten years you were gone all because of that woman. She stole everything from me. From us. If she wasn’t such a horrible mother, you wouldn’t had run away and get killed by that monster,”

By now, her tears are gone, but she is still trembling on the bed. 

“Stop. Blaming others is not going to help. That’s all in the past now so please just accept it and move on,” you are so tired of your past interfering with your life. 

You will not stand by while your sister is plagued with “what ifs” and  different future lost within the flames. Your eyes trail over to her stump leg. No, especially not now. 

“So what happened after I left?”

Lily sighs and fiddles with her blanket. A faraway gaze shone in her emerald eyes, recalling the events of the past. 

\----

She watched the raindrops trickle down the living room window, her cold breath frosting up the window where she traced a small flower. Every small movement, a falling leaf, a passing car, a jumping insect filled her with hope only for it to be ripped away again. It’s been three days, six hours and twenty two minutes since you went missing and every second, every breath held was all spent for your return. 

Lily might have dozed off because she leaped out of her skin when she heard a door slam. Agnes threw her coat on the couch and promptly grabbed a bottle from the fridge. Lily scurried to her mother, tugging on her skirt. 

“Did you find her, Mama?”

“If I did, don’t you think she would be here now?” Agnes snapped, “Besides, she’s not coming back.”

“Why not?” Lily persisted. 

“Because she is selfish. She doesn’t love us,” her mother rolled her eyes, “Now go be a good girl and leave me alone,”

“You’re wrong!” Lily cried, ignoring her mother’s request, “Sis loves us, she loves me! She wouldn’t just leave!” 

The world around her because shaky and blurry as hot tears stream down her face. She thought of your brave smile and endurance of the cruel treatment Mother put you through. Lily wasn’t stupid, she knew what you were trying to do and what Mother was doing to you. She just thought that if she could just somehow show her mother love, her mother would change, or at least ease up on her beatings. You would never leave her alone here, Lily knows it. You’ll come back and you’ll take her far away. She knows it.  

Anger swelled up in her chest, ready to burst. 

“I’ll show you! I will wait for her everyday and she’ll come back! Just you wait!” Lily stormed back to the window and waited. 

She watched the seasons change, from sun to show, from blooming flowers to dead trees, Lily never stopped. But something inside Agnes changed. As the years turned, her will began to deteriorate. Lily knew that Agnes had lost her job; it’d be impossible not to since she was constantly drunk. Yet, somehow, her mother always found a way to get her hands on a bottle. Everything was fed to her alcoholism, leaving nothing for electricity and running water. Lily would sneak into fitness centers for a hot shower and to quench her thirst. Meals were scarce and the only way to get food was shoplifting and her free lunch at school. Thank god, she was still able to go to school. Lily had always taken her education very  seriously so she wouldn’t end up like her mother. Still, all the math formulas and historical dates didn’t mask the loneliness she felt. Lily was never picked on for her poverty, after all most of the students were poor like her, but she always turned down any offerings of friendship to protect herself from the eventual abandonment that would come. 

It was a normal spring day. Lily had just returned from school and threw her backpack on the couch, sitting by the open window for some natural light. She pulled out her math homework and finished quickly then started to her history book. Rubbing her eyes, she read the same passage over and over, unable to comprehend the meaning until she finally gave up. Lily heard the familiar keys jingle and greeted her mother coldly. 

“You could be a little nicer to me, you know,” Agnes scowled, “I raised you after all.”

Lily shut her book and rolled her eyes, “You didn’t raise me, my sister did,”

“Yeah? And where is she now? Probably dead in a ditch somewhere,” Agnes’s words dripped with venom. 

“She’s not dead,” Lily gritted her teeth, “She’s coming back and she’ll take me far away from you,”

“It’s been three years. You’re too old for these childish fantasies, my dear,” Agnes sighs, “Grow up. Your sister is dead and you need to get over it. She’s never coming back,”

Her words stung, but Lily remained strong, “Then  _ I’ll  _ leave. And I am never coming back,’

“Oh Lily, Lily, Lily, my darling girl,” Agnes gently cupped her daughter’s face which she angrily pulled away, “You’re damaged. Who would ever want you? Who would ever love you? No one but me,”

With a cruel smirk, Agnes kissed her stunned daughter and sauntered off into the bedroom. Meanwhile, Lily sank to the floor, sobbing until there were no more tears left. 

Once dusk fell, Lily crawled into her inflatable mattress near her mother’s bed and drifted off into a blank slumber. It was her mother’s voice that woke her. Through her dazed droziness, Lily couldn’t understand Agnes’s low mumbling. 

“Mother? Who are you talking to?” Lily called out. 

Agnes paused, then turned to her daughter, the full moon behind her darkening her face, “Go back to sleep, Lily. We have a busy morning,”

Brushing it off as a dream, Lily fell back asleep. The next time she woke up that night, her mother was shaking her shoulders urgently. 

“Lily wake up. Pack your bags, we need to go,” Agnes ordered. 

“What? What’s going on?” 

“Bring only what you need,” her mother ignored Lily’s question, “Do it now,”

Stubborn defiance boiled within her, but Lily did it anyway. Something told her that fighting was very dangerous at the moment. She silently grabbed her backpack, dumped her school supplies, and tossed in whatever clothes she had. When Lily was finished, Agnes grabbed her hand and dragged her outside. 

“Wait here,” her mother commanded. 

Lily obeyed and watched her mother run back into the dark house. A few minutes later, Agnes re-emerged and a light flickered in the living room. Moments later, the light erupted into roaring flames, consuming everything in its path. 

“MOTHER! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!” Lily screamed in fear as she watched her childhood home burn. 

“Keep your voice down you idiot! Someone could hear you!” Agnes barked, “Now let’s go.”

Agnes took Lily’s hands and dragged her into the darkness, “NO! WHAT THE FUCK I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU, YOU CRAZY BITCH!”

“Shut up!” Agnes struck her daughter across the face twice. 

“NO! NO! LET ME GO! SOMEONE HELP!” Lily screamed, begging for anyone to hear her, fighting her mother’s tight grip. 

Agnes pounded her in the stomach, causing her daughter to spew blood, “Now you listen to me girl. Either you come with me or I throw you into that fire,”

Lily sobbed and went limp, fearing for her life. 

She felt like a little kid again, but this time, she didn’t have her beloved sister to protect her. 

“It’ll be alright, Lily, we are going to start over somewhere else. The voice will take care of us,” Agnes stopped and kissed her daughter’s head. 

“Voice?” Lily whimpered.  

“I’m going to give us a better life. Stay with me and you’ll be happy,” Agnes tenderly cupped her face, speaking softly. 

And just like that, Lily followed her mother into the unknown, leaving behind memories of a burning past. 

 

\---

“After that, we started new lives. No one ever looked for us, I guess. Mother got a job as a receptionist for a military complex, climbed the corporate ladder, then became the head,” Lily finishes the story as she rubs her temples. 

“Did the voices ever go away?” you ask. 

“No, but some good did come out of it. We had more money and I was able to go to college. Mother even stopped drinking,” Lily shook her head slowly, “But it wasn’t all unicorns and rainbows. She was emotionally abusive, doing anything she can to keep me by her side. She molded me to become exactly what she needed. And it worked.”

“Hey,” you grab her hand and run your thumb over her fingers, “I’m here now. Everything will be alright. You’ll have a new family now.”

“What you mean those monsters? They’ll never accept me. I killed so many of them,” your sister grimaced. 

Her green eyes droops sadly, hopeless, lifeless. It reminds you of yourself at one point. You let go of her hand and lean back in your chair, staring at the dull hospitals tiles. You hated this place. Nothing good happens here. 

“It’ll take time. But I won’t abandon you again. Ever,” you offer a smile of reassurance. 

“You really love them, don’t you?”

You don’t hesitate on your answer, “Yeah. They’re everything to me.”

For the first time in a long time, Lily’s lips curls in a small smile, “I’m glad that you found happiness.”

“You will too,” you reply, eyeing her stump leg. 

The two of you drift off into a noiseless chatter, trading silly stories as children and adults; falling into a splendid laughter. Like the ocean after the storm, everything falls back into its natural state. 

After two days, Lily is finally released from the hospital. Sans said that Grillby, Muffet, and Asgore already returned to Ebott to take care of business. 

“and another important thing… frisk explained the resets,” Sans leans against the wall, stuffing his hands into his pockets. 

Lily hobbles on crutches, nearly slipping on the pavement where the three of you are waiting for the Uber, “Resets?”

You ignore here and sigh in relief, a huge weight thrown off your shoulder, “About time,”

“Is someone going to explain this to me or what?” Lily grumbled. 

“tibia honest, it’s a long story and i don’t feel like telling it,” Sans chuckles smugly. 

Lily growls while you shake your head, “Too soon, Sans.”

Your Uber arrives and during the drive, you quickly fill your sister in on the reset situation. You arrive at the motel and help Lily hop out of the car. The motel looks like a stereotypical motel you’ve seen in movies. Two stories in a shape of an L, the structure molded with chipping paint. The motel’s large neon red sign flickers sporadically with barely any cars in the parking lot.

“Wait,” Lily says as Sans inserts the key to the room on the first floor.

“Lily?” you notice her pale, uneasy expression and you worry that she might fall over. 

“I’ll give you two a minute,” Sans says, sensing the the thick air and disappeared behind the door. 

Your sister hands you her crutches and lowers herself against the wall. You lean the crutches against the door and sit down next to her. 

“Sorry, I just needed a second,” Lily runs her fingers through her blonde hair. 

“Take your time,” you stare off into the parking lot. 

Cars rolls down the steep hills as the morning sun sends waves of heat. Summer is fast approaching.

“Okay,” Lily takes a deep breath, “I’m good now. Help me up?”

You get up and extend your hand which Lily grips onto tightly and pulls herself up. Handing back her crutches, you look at your sister once more and she nods in confirmation. You twist the knob and once you enter, whatever conversation they were having ceased. 

“____!” the monsters (and tiny human) except for Sans pulls you into a tight hug. 

Toriel and Papyrus nuzzle your head while Frisk leaps into your arms. Alphys squeezes you tightly and Undyne gives you a hard slap on the back. 

“You gotta stop passing out on us, punk!” the warrior flashes her razor sharp teeth brightly. 

“YOU REALLY WORRIED US, HUMAN!”

“I love you guys so much,” you giggle, overwhelmed by how lucky you are to have them in your life. 

Lily shuffles awkwardly and for the first time, the monsters take notice. Dead silence fills the air, no one knowing what to say. Frisk approaches your sister first, their height barely reaching her stomach. 

“You have really pretty hair,” Frisk smiles innocently. 

Lily, thrown off by Frisk’s approach, blushes deeply while playing with a strand of her hair, “O-Oh thank you,”

“Hey! You lost a leg, I lost and eye! We’re gonna get along just fine!” Undyne flings her arm around your sister and noogies her hard. 

“HOORAY! ANOTHER HUMAN FRIEND!” Papyrus dances gleefully. 

“Thank you for saving us, child,” Toriel rests her paw gently on Lily’s shoulder. 

“I-I  can build you a-another leg! After I take some measurements and do some calibrating…”

“heh. you’re gonna fit right in, kiddo,”

Lily looks at you with wide green eyes, tears staining her cheeks. You chuckle softly to yourself, knowing exactly how she’s feeling. Something stirs inside you, foreign, unfamiliar. You smile as you figure out what it is. Completeness. 

\---

The bus drops you and your sister a block from Daniel’s house, the cool night breeze brushing against your cheeks.  You stretch out your arms, allowing your joints to crack from the horrendously long ride back home. First the bus dropped off the Dreemurs, then Alphyne, then the skelebros. It’s been a long day and all you want to is curl up in bed and sleep. 

“I can’t wait for you to meet Daniel! He’s the best human being on this planet!” you chirp excitedly as your lead your sister down the neighborhood. 

“Considering our childhood, I don’t doubt you for a second,” Lily jokes. 

“Oh shut up you,” you smile anyway. 

Finally you return home and before you could even reach the door, Daniel comes barreling out, trapping you in a tight embrace. 

“You’re safe! You’re okay! Fuck, I thought I’d never see you again!” Daniel sobs, his tears staining your back. 

“I’ve missed you so much,” you return his hug, pressing him closely against you, “But are you okay? The last time I saw you, you were tied to a chair,”

“Tied to a chair?” Lily says, astonished, in the background. 

You let go of your best friend and see his boyfriend, Jack, standing right behind him. 

“Jack!” you run up to hug him, catching him off guard, “I know we don’t know each other well, but thank you for taking care of him,”

“Of course,” Jack smiles softly, “I’m happy you’re safe,”

Lily coughs to get your attention so you detach yourself from your friend and return to her side. 

“Uhm, this is Lily. My sister,” you introduce proudly. 

“Wait, your sister? As in your dead sister?!” Daniel stares at Lily, his mouth agape with shock. 

“Well, I’m alive. Not a zombie or anything,” your sister chuckles. 

“Holy shit. Holy fucking shit,” Daniel immediately tackles your sister, hugging her tightly, but minding her injury, “You have to tell me everything,”

Lily nods and Daniel leads you into the house. He lets you settle down while he makes some tea, allowing you to help your sister into your small bedroom. Jack excuses himself home, not wanting to intrude. Lily flops on your twin sized bed, sighing gratefully to lay down and relax her healthy leg. Finding some spare blankets, you lay them down on the white carpet floor beside your bed. Charlie the cat weaves himself through the crack of your open door and jumps on your chest, kneading your soft breasts. 

“Charlie?! That little shit is still alive?!” Lily exclaims, reaching down to pet his soft fur. 

You laugh and nod your head. Charlie meows lazily and scurries off to who knows where. 

“This setup will have do for now. My room isn’t big enough for another bed. And there’s no other bedroom besides Daniel’s. We can figure something out later,” you say your thoughts outloud. 

“I can always find a place for myself,” Lily replies. 

“NO!” you cry, appalled by the mere suggestion, “I am never leaving your side again,”

Unfazed by outburst, Lily laughs wholeheartedly, “Okay, we are going to talk about your separation issues later, but your friend is waiting for us downstairs. We should probably go talk to him,” 

You mumble in protest then strut to the dining room where your best friend waits for you with three cups of tea. Pulling out a chair, you sit across from him while Lily takes a seat next to yours. Taking a sip of the tea, you allow the warm drink to coat your throat and rest in your stomach. Your muscles instantly relax and you could feel the familiar buzz of energy return to your soul. 

“So do you want to tell me what happened?” Daniel speaks first.

Both you and Lily look at each other and nod. You recount the events of the last few days with Lily occasionally inputting comments from her side. After you finished, Daniel takes a long sip of his now cold drink. 

“There will be others you know. The Righteous isn’t the the only group out there, others will spawn. Cut off one head, another grows in its place,” Daniel says quietly. 

“I know. But we will be there to stop them,” Lily raises her voice confidently. 

“We? You want to be involved in all of this? Even after all that’s happened?!” Daniel stammers. 

“I have to. I’m partly responsible for all of this,” Lily insisted. 

“____?” Daniel turns to you, full of worry. 

“I can’t in good conscious, sit here and do nothing,” your expression darkens as images of Frisk wielding a knife flashes in your mind. 

“Why not? Haven’t you been through enough?”  your best friend whimpers. 

You offer a consolable smile, “It’s not in my nature to just stand by and let things happen. Especially since these are my friends. I would do anything I can to help them,”

Your friend fiddles with his hands, his deep, sad frown foreign to his usual jovial expression, “Okay. I support both of you no matter what. Just do me a favor and be careful. I’d rather not be tied to a chair and watch my best friend be kidnapped again,”

“I’m sorry, if I had known-”

“That was a joke,” Daniel laughs nervously, “Why don’t we just go to bed? You two must be tired.”

You and Lily climb back upstairs and you wrap yourself in a mountain of blankets on top of your impromptu futon. Lily’s hand dangles on the side of the bed and you reach for it, intertwining your finger together. 

“What are you thinking about?” you whisper. 

“Is it true that it snows in the Underground?” Lily replies. 

“Only in Snowdin. Sans and Papyrus use to live there,” you smile so wide in the dark, but you doubt Lily could see. 

“I’d like to see that one day,” Lily slurs as she falls asleep. 

“I’ll take you one day,” no response, “Heh. I love you, sis.” 


	34. Camping with Explosions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and your friends go camping.  
> Also in which the unathletic author describe the only sport she's ever truely liked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow guys we got to over 10,000 hits! That's amazing! I know I've been gone this last month in a half, but it's been really hard finding motivation, so as compensation for your patience, I released 2 chapters today! Let me know what you guys think! Also, if you are a fan of the anime, Yuri on Ice, go check out my mini fic, [ The Proposal!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9260981/chapters/20991326)

The sun beats down your back as you lug the food tray to the picnic center. Papyrus had already started roasting the barbeque, the sweet, juicy scent of meat wafting through the camp grounds. Lily attempts to carry the bags of ice out of Daniel’s trunk while on her crutches, but you easily take it away with a flick of your magic. 

“Nope,” you wink and stick your tongue out, hand glowing from levitating the ice to the table. 

Lily huffs in frustration and settles for helping Undyne set up the badminton net instead. Slamming the trunk,  you carry the potato salad to the picnic area. You’ve never made a dish like this before and you hope everyone will like it. If it had not been Toriel’s and Papyrus’s  insistence that there would be at least one morsel of healthy food on this camping trip, you would not have bothered. You don’t even like potato salad so you  don’t even know if it taste good although both Jack and Lily assured you that it’s fine. 

Sans and Daniel took it upon themselves to set up everyone’s tents, though it was more like Sand lazily sitting in the shade downing a bottle of ketchup while occasionally tossing Daniel the tools with his magic. 

“Oh man. It’s really hot today. If only someone could  _ actually  _  help me instead of chilling in the shade,” Daniel sarcastically complains. 

Sans just tosses him a hammer. 

Deciding to intervene, you help your friend pull the tarps over the nails and pop up the fabrics. 

“thanks for helping us, _____. it was getting a bit  _  in tents  _ for me,” Sans winks. 

You and Daniel shoot him an irritated glare, but he pays no mind to it. Eying the open water bottle beside him, you crack a sly smile and stealthily levitate above the skeleton. 

“It  _ is _ pretty hot today isn’t it?” you mock innocently. Beside you, Daniel stifles a laugh. 

Sans raises a bone brow in suspicion.

“Maybe you should cool down for a bit!” you quickly dump the water over his head watching it roll down his face and damping his white shirt. 

You and your best friend crack up at the sight, reveling in the justice. Daniel continues to snort, but you immediately stop when you notice Sans isn’t saying anything or reacting. Instead, his eye sockets go black and his smile grows menacingly. 

Uh oh. 

“human. y o u r e  g o i n g  t o  r e g r e t  t h a t,” a water hose flys into his palms and aims it directly at you. 

“Sans! No! I’m sorry!”  you run away from him, half squealing, half laughing. 

He chases you around the campgrounds, firing the water torrent, but always missing. Suddenly, you trip over a rock, knocking yourself onto the grass. When you look up, Sans towers over you, his blue eye glowing and the nozzle staring straight down at you. 

In the distance, you hear Frisk shout your name and they throw you a water gun. You catch it, although fumbling a bit, and aim it back at the skeleton, hoping that he would back down from the standoff.

Sans drops the hose and puts his hands up in the air, “Okay, okay, truce?”

You smile brightly and reach out your hand. He helps you up and takes a step back, his devious smile returning. Without warning, he picks up the hose again and blast the water right at you. You instinctively make a shield for yourself, but once the torrent hits your magic, a small explosion bursts in between you and Sans, sparks and fire shooting everywhere. You yelp and and jump back to avoid getting hit, quickly dissipating your shield. The blast clears away leaving nothing but some yellow grass at your feet, but no major damage. 

“A-Are y-you guys okay?! W-What happened?!” Alphys and the others come running to your aid. 

“What was that blast?! Are we under attack?!” Undyne summons her spear and ready her attack stance. 

“No no, we’re okay. It was just an accident,” you calm them down. 

“What happened, my child,” Toriel asks, concerned.

“our human mage here just discovered energy magic and water don’t mix,” the skeleton chuckles. 

You shoot him a dirty glare. 

“_____, you should’ve known better,” Toriel scolds. 

You shrink away, unused to being scolded by Toriel, but you offer a sincere apology. Sans disappears to find new clothes while you wander the campgrounds, soon joining Undyne and Frisk in a game of badminton. 

“Hey Nerd! Grab a racquet!” the fish monster motions you over. 

Jumping from enthusiasm, you grab one and join Frisk on the right side, choosing the position in the center of the court. Papyrus joins Undyne’s team. 

“Doesn’t this seem a bit unbalanced?” you laugh nervously at the two tall and powerful monsters before you. 

“Heads up!” Undyne throws the shuttlecock in the air and slams it with full force. 

The birdie flys over your head, a trail of flames following closely behind. With your life flashing before your eyes, you quickly duck, allowing Frisk to jump in and return the serve. 

“Get your head in the game!” the ten year old chided. 

Determination courses through you. You can beat these losers easily! Though you’d never call them losers to their face. Papyrus swings his racquet, the shuttlecock flying right above you. You hit the birdie back, and Undyne returns it. Frisk manages to get the next one, and you almost let one get past you. The game continues with a fine rally, with your team hitting the shuttlecock out of bounds a couple of times, costing you points. By the end of the game, the score was 10 to 15, with you and Frisk on the losing side. To be fair, you had  huge disadvantage going up against a former Royal Guard and former Royal Guard in training. But in the end, both sides had fun no matter the outcome. Somehow even under the heat and extensive workout, Papyrus and Undyne had not even broken a sweat while you and Frisk lay on the grass panting like dogs. 

Soon the sun begins to set and everyone gathers around the firepit, grabbing some barbeque or watermelons and enjoying the company. Toriel lights the pit with her fire magic, the radiating heat warming everyone from the chilly evening. Daniel mindlessly strums on his guitar, not playing a tune, yet providing a relaxing ambiance for the conversation. 

“S-So L-Lily’s leg is going very well! It s-should be f-finished by the end of this month,”  Alphys says as she sips her hot chocolate. 

“I can’t thank you enough, Alphys. If there’s anything I can do for you, don’t hesitate to ask,” Lily smiles, her green eyes twinkling like the stars above. 

You stretch your arms and wrap them around your sister, resting your head on her shoulder, “With her new leg, it would making room hunting easier. And Lily would be able to find a job to help me with the rent,”

“you’re moving out of daniel’s?” Sans asks curiously. 

You nod, taking a sip of your hot chocolate, “Daniel’s place isn’t big enough for the three of us. So we are looking for a place together,”

“WHY DON’T YOU MOVE BACK IN WITH US?” Papyrus suggests. 

“yeah. all your stuff is still there and we’ll even knock down the monthly payment for you. your sister could stay with daniel,” Sans’s grin grows wider. 

“SANS WE ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE HER PAY AFTER EVERYTHING WE’VE BEEN THROUGH,” Papyrus yells. 

“I have no problem with that,” Daniel shrugs. 

Your soul flutters at the thought of living with the brothers again. It was your dream home a long time ago. And you had so much fun living there with the skeletons. You so badly want to say yes, but looking at your sister, you know you can’t. You can’t just leave her, abandon her again. What if something happens to her? What if you never see her again? 

“Thank you for the offer Papyrus, but Lily needs me. I can’t just leave her-”

“Sis could I talk to you for a second?” Lily tugs on your arm and leads you to the edge of the camp for privacy. You have to admit, after three weeks on crutches, she’s gotten pretty fast. 

“Move in with them,” Lily states bluntly. 

“I can’t. I want to be with you,” you argue back. 

“It’s not like you have to move in right away. Once Alphys is finished, we can start preparing. After that, I can walk and do things on my own again,” 

“Yes, but I still have to help you adjust to your new leg, and-” 

“Sis, is there something else going on?” your sister knows you too well. 

You sigh, running your fingers through your hair, “I’m scared of losing you again. I made the mistake of abandoning you once, I don’t want to do it again.” 

Lily laughs, sweet and innocent, full of energy and stubbornness, “Silly, you aren’t abandoning me. We will still get to see each other anytime. I will be alright. And so will you. Truth be told, I need some space to adjust to this… lifestyle. I need to ease into it on my own.” 

Your heart breaks a little at the thought of your sister not needing you, but you brush it aside, realizing how stupid that is. Whether she needs you or not, you’ll always be there for her and she knows it. 

“If that’s really what you want,” you hug her tightly, inhaling her scent of fresh lemons. 

You and your sister head back to the camp fire, rejoining your friends and family in the laughter and the joy. With the crickets chirping and  the moonlight illuminating in front of them, you pop open a blue lollipop. 


	35. Moving In (Again)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You move in with the brothers again and Sans has something to show you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm writing another Undertale fic called [ MagicaTale](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9584186/chapters/21667406)! If you're a fan of Undertale and Madoka Magica (or time traveling stories in general) you should check it out!

Sans watches you on the steps of his house, admiring the scene before you, your glistening eyes swimming in nostalgia. Tucked safely in both of your arms, you hold a single cardboard box with your belongings.The wind ruffles through your silky hair sending goosebumps down your skin. Sans always found it fascinating how the human body reacts to the simplest of things. Feeling the chill brush against his own bones, he interrupts your deep thoughts.

“ready to go inside?” Sans puts his hands on your lower back.

To his surprise, you didn’t move away.

“Yeah,” you smile at him, “Let’s go.”

He leads you inside, grinning secretly as he knew what’s in store for you. He texted Paps a few minutes ago so everything should be ready. Sans opens the front door and step inside, allowing you to go in first.

“SURPRISE!” Papyrus yells as he jumped from behind the couch, confetti and balloons flying everywhere, “WELCOME HOME!”

Your box clutters to the ground as you stand in the door with your mouth agape, “Papy? What is all this?”

“YOUR SURPRISE! WE JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW HOW HAPPY YOU’RE BACK! SANS SUGGESTED IT!”

“I don’t know what to say…” a few drops of tears rolls down your face and Papyrus jumps in alarm.

“HUMAN! WE DIDN’T UPSET DID WE?!”

“N-No it’s just,” you wipe away the tears with the back of your hand, beaming brightly, “I’m so happy!”

Sans sighs in relief as you run to his brother, leaping into his arms. Your smile never leaves your face and Sans wants to remember this moment forever. Papyrus takes you to your room with the older skeleton following closely behind. Everything was just as you left it all those months ago. Sans and Papyrus did not dare touch anything, except for dusting a bit when you announced that you were moving back in. Your bed is still pushed against the corner, your closet neat and pristine, you desk still cluttered with papers. You are finally home.

You push your curtains away and open the window, allowing some fresh air to pour in. Papyrus excuses himself to the kitchen to prepare his celebratory spaghetti for dinner.

“So why did you keep this stuff anyway? Why not just throw it all away or just sell it?” you ask, tracing your pillow with your fingertips.

“you know how sentimental paps is,” Sans replies, not mentioning his own reasons.

“Right. Only Paps,” your lips twitch upward, but you don’t say anything else on that subject.

Wanting to give you time to settle in, Sans turns away to leave, but you stop him.

“Sans wait!” you call after him.

The skeleton pauses pauses, looking at you in curiosity.

“How do skeletons get their mail?”

Sans already knows the answer, but decides to indulge you anyway, “i dunno how?”

“By boney express!”  you laugh loudly at your joke and Sans couldn’t help but join in, his soul becoming lighter as his worries fade away.

There’s nothing as good as an old fashioned, cheesy joke.

“heh. you’re a-door-able,” Sans winks as he swings the door closed behind him.

He meets Papyrus in the kitchen, catching him off dump the chopped garlic into the sauce. While his brother switches to draining the pasta, Sans helps him stir the tomato sauce so it doesn’t burn.

“hey paps,”

“YES BROTHER?” Papyrus hums.

“i’m taking the human out for a bit after dinner. do you need anything?”

“NO, THE GREAT PAPYRUS ALREADY HAS EVERYTHING,”

Sans nods, but then an idea struck his head. He realizes that he hasn’t been spending enough quality time with his brother lately. Paps is always at work and when he comes home, Sans is either napping or browsing the internet. Maybe it’s time to change that.

“are you free tomorrow, bro?” Sans asks.

“YES, TOMORROW IS SATURDAY SO I’M FREE. DID YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING BROTHER?”

“why don’t we hang out tomorrow? just you and me?”

“THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL SANS! AND AFTERWARDS, CAN WE INVITE YOUR HUMAN TO UNDYNE’S AND ALPHY'S ANIME SLEEPOVER?”

“whatever you want bro,”

“WOWIE! I’M SO EXCITED!”

“heh, i am too bro. i’m going out for a bit. i’ll be back before dinner,”

Papyrus nyehs in confirmation and Sans teleports away, right to the steps of his house in Snowdin. No more delaying. He knows what he has to do. Unlocking the door to the back of his house, his shoes thump against the blue tile floors. Sans walks up to the machine, hidden under a large, white, dusty blanket, attempting to shield the world from it. He pulls the blanket away with a loud swish, dust falling everywhere. He still can’t believe he was trying to bring Gaster back just to hurt you. He can’t even justify the way he treated you. Sans knows that Gaster was a horrible monster, even before your fall. Sans remembers Gaster forcing him to summon his gaster blasters, firing into the empty fields. The scientist never made his sons hurt a living being before, but he can’t say the same for Gaster. There were nights where his father came home covered in dust. Despite his [REDACTED] LV, his father really did show Sans and Papyrus love and compassion. He was the one that made Sans fall in love with the wonders of science, after all. He was going to be a Royal Scientist just like his father and use science and magic to help people, to help break the barrier. He now realizes the dark side of that dream.

Sans shakes his head, rubbing his vertebrae with his hands. No need to dwell on the past. Instead, he grabs his toolbox, a box of matches, and kerosene. Time to get to work.

* * *

 

Sans calls for a ride home this time, too exhausted to walk or teleport. He has everything prepared for you at the poppy fields. Soon, his Uber drops him off at home. Paying the driver, he looks at his sad empty wallet. Maybe he’ll just take Papyrus’s car next time. He opens the front door, the delicious scent of tomatoes and garlic swirling around his nose. Sans smiles, grateful that Papyrus has improved his cooking. Not only is it digestible, but the flavor isn’t that bad either.

You and Papyrus are already sitting at the dinner table, his brother crossing him arms in annoyance while you wave a quick hello upon seeing him.

“YOU SAID YOU’D BE BACK _BEFORE_ DINNER!” Papyrus scods.

“sorry, bro. i guess i got lost track of thyme,” Sans chuckles as he points to a jar of thyme leaves on the table.

You giggle quietly as Papyrus screams at the top of his metaphorical lungs. Sans pulls out a chair and sits down, meeting your cheerful gaze. Dinner goes by smoothly, with you trying to hide your surprise at how good it is, so instead, you shower the chef with compliments which Papyrus absorbs like a sponge. You tell him about your day; about how after you finished unpacking, you binged watched some Netflix show and recommended it to him.

“So basically, these four kids go on adventures to save their friend and they run into these things called…” you chatter excitedly, your passion lighting up the conversation.

  At one point, something soft and furry brushes against his fibula, prompting him to flinch from surprise and pull his knees up.

“Oh sorry! That was just Charlie!” a lanky black and white cat jumps on your lap and you feed it a piece of your meatball.

“where the hell did he come from?” Sans scowled in disapproval. He never got along with cats.

“Well, Lily and Daniel dropped him off while you were gone. They said he was looking for me,” you squeak, shrinking into your chair.

“CAN WE KEEP HIM?” Papyrus pleads with sparkling anime eyes.

You scratch Charlie’s head and he purrs loudly, “He likes to come and go,”

Sans sighs knowing he can’t resist you or Papyrus’s begging, “fine, but he better not do anything cat-astrophic cause that would be hiss-terical,”

Papyrus groans and you laugh, startling the cat in the process. Later, you help the tall skeleton wash the dishes while Sans puts away the leftovers.

“wanna go somewhere with me?” Sans asks nonchalantly after you dried your hands.

“Huh? Sure. Where to?” you tuck a strand of hair behind your ear.

Sans offers you his hand which you take without hesitation, your warmth spreading through his bones, energizing his soul. Pulling you close to him so you don’t get lost, he teleports to the poppy fields, letting you go as soon as your feet touch the grass. You take a moment to look around you, figuring out where you are. Your eyes widened, a spark of pure panic and fear flashing through you as you step away from him. On second thought, maybe this location wasn’t the best place.

Throwing his hands up in the air and putting some distance between you and him, he tries to calm you down.

“i’m sorry, i’m not here to hurt you. i just want to do something for you,” Sans reassures.

You relax slightly, but maintain your distance. Sans leads you to the center of the meadow, where the broken machine stood silently. Watching. Waiting.

“Sans, what is this doing here?” you tremble at the sight of it.

“i know you said it could never be fixed. i don’t know how you know, but i’m going to make sure it never will,” Sans fishes the match box out of his pocket and hands it to you, “i already dosed it with kerosene and took out the reactors,”

“So it should be safe?” you ask.

Sans nods. You fiddle with the matchbox in your hand, contemplating your choices. He wonders what’s going through your mind at this moment. You open the box and flick a match, watching the flames burst to life then calming back down. You toss the match at the machine, the fire engulfing it within seconds. The burning machine emits a warm glow, illuminating your tired face. The fire crackles loudly, debris flying off everywhere. Soon mini blasts explodes in every direction. For safety, Sans summons a wall of bones surrounding the machine, containing the outbursts.

Surprisingly, you lean into him, intertwining your fingers into his. He could smell your vanilla shampoo as his soul races. If he had a heart, it would be bursting right this second. You peck him on the cheek, leaving him blushing blue.

“Thank you,” you whisper into his jacket.

Sans traces your palm with his thumb and together, you watch the flames burn.


	36. Never Have I Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> anime sleepover where everyone gets drunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *WARNING* Contains NSFW themes
> 
> Hey guys, I'm exhausted so let me know if I made a mistake or I missed something as I was editing. I'll fix it as soon as possible.

 

Papyrus holds the heavy masonite ball in his hand, concentrating on the target before him. His sight flickers to the 100 hole. The skeleton holds his breath, then exhales slowly. He swings his arm back, then throwing it forward underhand, releasing the ball into the ramp. The ball flies upward, hitting the side of the 100 hole and falling into the 30 point hole instead. Papyrus hollers in pride, attracting the attention of humans and monsters in the arcade. Since that was the last ball, the machine shuts down, printing out 15 tickets.

“WOWIE BROTHER! LOOK AT HOW MUCH WE WON!” Papyrus exclaims excitedly.

“yeah bro. looks like we have enough for that puzzle you wanted,” Sans

encourages  his brother’s enthusiasm.

Not wanting to leave yet, Papyrus drags his brother to the next game, a flashing Japanese dancing game with two dance pads. Papyrus fishes for some coins, but pauses, looking at his shorter brother, a wide grin cracking his face.

“WAIT HERE BROTHER! I’LL BE RIGHT BACK!” Papyrus scrurries off somewhere before Sans could say anything.

Shrugging off his brother’s odd behavior, Sans stays put, curious as to what Papyrus had in mind. Two minutes later, Papyrus returns, holding...white cat ears and a tail.

“papyrus no,” Sans steps away, attempting to get away from the potential embarrassment.

“PAPYRUS YES!” the taller skeleton glomps his brother, preventing his escape and attaches the tail to his shorts and ears to his skull.

Papyrus sets his brother down, admiring his adorable older brother. Sans’s eye sockets go black and his face is flushed blue, only making him cuter. Human and monster kids snicker as they pass by him. The tall skeleton inserts the coins-four on each side- and forces Sans up on the pad.

“PLAY WITH MY BROTHER!”

Since Paps had already inserted the coins, Sans has no choice. Papyrus scrolls through each song, the cutesy Japanese voices blasting in his face. Finally, the tall skeleton chooses “World is Mine”, the most difficult song of all.

“do i have to do this, paps?” Sans whines.

“DON’T BE SUCH A LAZYBONES!” Papyrus shouts as he presses start.

The screen goes dark for a second, then faces into a bright blue and green polka dotted background with a teal twin tailed vocaloid girl dancing on the screen waving a leek. The arrows flash on the screen and the voice counts down.

Three...Two….One…. Start!

Papyrus starts off strong, easily hitting the steps as the song continues. Sans on the other hand, fumbles through his steps, but as the song goes on, he beings to understand the rhythm, almost keeping up with Papyrus. In the corner of his sight, he notices a small crowd of familiar monster children gathering around him. Most of them were the same ones that lived in Snowdin. Heh. This is actually kind of fun! Right. Down. Up. Right. Right. Up. Up. Down. Down. Left. Right. Left Right.

Finished!

Sans catches his breath, resting on the railing while the crowd cheers. Among them, Sans catches “Adorable!” “Cute!” “Awesome!” Shit he forgot about the cat shit. He hopes that these people were the only ones who saw him like this.

“WOWIE BROTHER! YOU DID BETTER THAN I EXPECTED!” Papyrus praises.

“heh… thanks bro,” Sans huffs.

“I THINK THAT’S ENOUGH FOR TODAY BROTHER. LET’S GO GET THAT PUZZLE!” Papyrus picks up his brother and slings him over his shoulder and carries him to the counter.

Once Papyrus gets there, he sets his brother down and notices a crying human child sobbing on the floor with his distressed mother trying to comfort him.

“It’s okay, sweetie, we can come back another time…” the boy’s mother attempts to console him, “Why don’t we go get some ice cream?”

“NO!” the boy shrieks, his sobs growing louder. The poor, exhausted mother looked like she wanted to cry too.

Papyrus struts over, crouching down so his height doesn’t intimidate them, and asks what’s wrong. The mother flinches at the sight of the skeletons, protecting her son with her arm.

“S-Some s-s-stole all of my tickets,” the boy hiccups, unaffected by the skeleton’s appearance.

Sans watches his brother think for a moment, then reaches for his plastic bag and offer the boy all of his tickets.

“HERE, WHY NOT TAKE OURS? WE DON’T NEED THEM!” Papyrus’s smile shines brightly.

The mother blinks in shock, relaxing a little, “A-Are you sure?”

“yeah. go ahead kid. take ‘em. they’re yours,” Sans reassures.

The boy’s eyes light up in happiness and runs to hug both skeletons, “THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Mommy, I want to get the puzzle!”

The child runs to the prize counter without his mother. She shoots the skeletons a grateful look then catches up to her son.

“didn’t _you_ want the puzzle bro?”

“I CAN ALWAYS BUILD ONE!” Papyrus exclaims.

The skeleton brothers retreat into the parking lot with Sans climbing in the passenger seat. Papyrus starts the engine and backs out recklessly. It’s a shame that the brothers went home empty handed, but to Papyrus, seeing the boy’s smile was worth it. On the way home, Sans rolls down the window and sticks his hands outside, feeling the strong wind slip in between his fingers on the long stretch of the highway. Papyrus pulls up in the driveway and the two brothers enter their house, Sans immediately flopping on the couch. He notices your bedroom door open, but you weren’t inside. You’re probably still at work or something. He pulls out his phone, inviting you the anime sleepover at 7. After sending the text, the skeleton lazily scrolls through Netflix, until he finally settled on a random Netflix original. Hours later, Papyrus orders him to pack his things because they were going to be late. Sans teleports to his room, randomly throwing his clothes in his bag and swiping his charger into his pocket. He re-emerged from his bedroom five minutes later, with Papyrus already waiting downstairs for him. The brothers hop back into the car and Papyrus speeds through town, running through every yellow light in the nick of time. In under ten minutes, Papyrus pulls up to the couple’s house, Sans holding his queasy nonexistent stomach.

“damn paps, what was the rush?” Sans stumbles over, feeling winded.

“YOU KNOW I HATE BEING LATE!” a mischievous glint shines in his eyes, or it would if he had pupils.

Yep. He’s definitely up to something. Papyrus drags him to the door, ringing the bell twice. Moments later, Alphys answers the door, beaming at Papyrus, then her eyes go wide at Sans, mouth tightening as if she was trying to hold back her laughter. Did he have something on his face or something? The brothers enter the house, the sleepover set up already in place. In the living room, in front of the large flat screen, is a king sized blow up mattress, stuffed with pillows and blankets. You laid on top of it, scrolling through your phone while Jack and Daniel snuggled on the couch behind it. Lily helps Undyne move the arm chair to make room for the coffee table with potato chips, dips, instant noodles and alcohol. Lots of alcohol.

“S-Sans and Papyrus are here!” Alphys announces, catching everyone’s attention. Upon seeing them, everyone hollers, with some giggling mixed him. Sans’s gaze meets yours and you blush, turning bright red. Actually blushed. Okay something weird is going on, but frankly Sans doesn’t feel like investigating. Instead, he grabs a bottle of ketchup already waiting for him in the kitchen, accidentally bumping into Lily.

“O-Oh hey, Sans,” the blonde grinned a little too widely.

“sup, lily,” Sans offers her some of his ketchup, “want some?”

Lily declines, shaking her head, “That’s gross dude,”

“come on, just a sip. your sister did it once,” Sans jokes.

“I have a missile loaded in my knee and i’m not afraid to use it if that comes anywhere near me,” Lily teases.

“suit yourself,” the skeleton shrugs, shooting an obscene amount in his mouth.

Alphys really had done a good job on Lily’s leg. Not only does it look completely real, Sans helped Alphys with the sensory layer, allowing her to feel the world around her. Alphys also equipped the leg with a defense system upon Lily’s request. Hey, if Alphys could build Mettaton Ex and Neo, a simple robotic leg wasn’t a challenge to her.

Undyne breaks through the living room, with a bottle of whiskey and eight shot glasses. She commanded everyone everyone back into the living room, declaring a game of Never Have I Ever. Undyne explains the rules of the game, where a person says  “Never have I ever,” and proceeds to describe something they haven’t done, but if someone in the group has done that thing, that person takes a shot. You frown, looking uncomfortable, but Lily takes your hand and whispers something in your ear, relaxing you slightly. A twinge of jealousy stirs within Sans’s soul, but he pushes it aside. Everyone sits down in a circle on top of the king sized mattress, grabbing a shot glass. Undyne pours everyone their fill and sets the bottle on the floor.

“Whoever is the youngest goes first!” Undyne proclaims.

Everyone looks over to Lily.

“Me?” Lily points to herself, “Well okay then. Never have I ever masturbated,”

All the monsters plus Jack and Daniel drinks.

“What?! You two have never tried?!” Daniel exclaims, looking over at you and your sister.

Sans blinks in shock as well.

“Never had the urge to,” Lily shurgs.

You turn as red as a tomato, “I uh, never really had the time,”

Daniel looked genuinely concerned for you and Lily, but kept his mouth shut. Deciding to move in a circle, Jack goes next.

“Uhm, never have I ever seen a waterfall,” everyone takes a shot, surprising the quiet human, “Really? But there aren’t many around here,”

Your face twists in disgust from the whiskey while it burns in his mouth.

“My parents took me to Niagara Falls when I was a kid,” Daniel responds.

“I was sent to Yosemite once on an errand for my mom” Lily comments.

“There’s a whole marshland in the Underground known as Waterfall. It’s a beautiful place known for its well, waterfalls. I use to live there,” Undyne explains.

Daniel goes next.

“Ohoho my turn?” Daniel rubs his hands mischievously, “Never have I ever touched a boob. Your moms don’t count. ”

Sans, Papyrus, Alphys, and Undyne drinks.

“Papyrus?! Who?!!” Undyne exclaims, nearly tackling the skeleton.

“NYEH HEH HEH, I DON’T KISS AND TELL,” Papyrus crosses his arms triumphantly, shattering the image that Papyrus is completely innocent that his friends built around him.

Everyone starts talking and shouting at once, causing an uproar from the sudden revelation. Sans just sits back and enjoys the show, amusing himself as his friends try to figure out who Papyrus groped. Once they realize that they’re not getting anything out of him, they settle down and resume the game.

“My turn!” Undyne shouts enthusiastically, “Never have I ever kissed a skeleton!”

“Why do you gotta attack me like this, Undyne?” you mumble under your breath and pour yourself a shot. You stick your tounge out in disgust.

Sans couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yeah, laugh all you want, Sans. That’s how I felt whenever I kissed you,” you teased light heartedly.

“i just came out to have a good time and i honestly feel so attacked right now,” Sans clutches his chest in mock pain.

It would be nice to kiss you again though.

Undyne brushes against her wife, signaling her turn.

“O-Oh uh uh, never have I ever made out in a closet,”

You and Sans looks at each other and clinked each other’s glasses before downing the burning liquid. Undyne laughs, retelling the story of how she caught you and Sans making out in the closet at her own wedding. You turn bright red, but that could just be the alcohol kicking in. Sans does find it cute whenever your cheeks changed colors like that though. So far, everyone is pretty buzzed, though Sans predicts that by tomorrow morning, everyone is going to be pretty shit faced. However, the only one who hasn’t been affected is Papyrus.

“NEVER HAVE I EVER BEEN DRUNK!” Papyrus beams with pride.

Everyone mumbles as they down their shots.

“wait, bro. i’ve seen you drink before. are you telling me they have no effect on you? not even a buzz?”

“NOPE!”

Sans wonders how that’s possible. It can’t be a skeleton thing, he’s been blacked out drunk before. Could it be he nature they were created? Gaster did intend to make Papyrus physically stronger than Sans after seeing how he turned out. Immunity to intoxication could be one of those physical strengths.

“Sans?” you nudge him softly, “It’s your turn.”

“huh? oh,” Sans thinks for a moment, “Never have I ever came from looking at porn,”

Everyone except you and Lily drinks.

“If porn doesn’t work for you, what does?” Daniel furrows his brow, probably wondering how skeletons even get off in the first place.

“i think about ____,” Sans blurts out without thinking.

Your breath hitched and you flinch away from him, your blush turning redder than before. You grab a nearby pillow and bury your face in it. An awkward silence passes within the group. Sans stammers, at a lost for words, unsure what to say. All of his friends glare at him.

“I think you broke her,” Lily says, poking her sister.

“I’m not broken,” you brush away your younger sister, then giving Sans your best devious smirk.

You have something up your sleeve, Sans knows it.

“It’s my turn isn’t it? Never have I ever wore super cute cat ears while playing Dance Dance Revolution in an arcade,” you play your trump card.

Sans winced, his eye sockets going black and his skull turning completely blue. All of his friends erupt into laughter as the short skeleton is forced to take a drink.

“how did you even know about that? is that why you all were acting so weird?!”

“A T-Temmie just posted it this morning. It almost has 2,000 views,” Alphys answers.

“I still can’t believe how adorable you are,” you wrap your arms around him, snuggling close, your eyes unfocused.

Sans bares through the embarrassment for a few more minutes until they finally resumed the game. The group goes a couple more rounds until everyone is properly drunk enough to not be able to formulate their words articulately. The whole night, you stay attached to him, your fingers running through his body until you are finally on top of him, a glossy glaze going over your eyes. In a different situation where you and him weren’t in front of all of your friends and you’re not drunk, he would’ve very much enjoyed your actions. But right now, his boner is going to have to wait. Lily makes a gag sound while Undyne gives him a thumbs up. Since you have him pinned down, Sans turns your soul blue and gently flips you over, hovering you a few feet above the air, where you are still giggling.

“okay, you’re drunk,” Sans sets you down on the sofa.

“Newsflash, so is everyone here,” you hiccup, “Except for Papyrus. Man, you skeletons are weeeeird.”

You latch onto him again. Sans sighs and picks up up princess style and brings you back to the couch. Since you don’t release him, he lays down with you, with his back leaning on the armrest you and you resting your head on his shoulders.

“i think we should just start the show now,” Sans says tiredly. He’s always been a tired drunk.

Everyone murmurs in agreement and get into comfortable positions. Alphys insert _Yuri!!! on Ice_ into the DVD player while Lily turns off the lights. By the time the theme song finished, you are already asleep on top of him. Heh, so you’re a sleepy drunk like him. Sans pays no attention to the anime, opting to focusing on your instead and fighting his own sleep spell. He runs his fingers through your hair, the silky texture gliding through his phalanges. You sigh contently, shifting your weight so you can wrap your arms around him more. Sans laughs quietly,  remembering how much you loved it when he did that. Lifting one hand up, he uses his magic to bring a nearby blanket and wrap it around you. HIis soul desperately reaches out to meet yours, a painful yearning, but he doesn’t let it. He stops stroking your hair, instead resting his hand on top of your head. Sans closes his eyes and allows the serenity to wash over him, whisking him off into a deep sleep.

* * *

 

Sans wakes up to the feeling of being squeezed. He blinks away the grogginess, shifting his body, but unable to move. He looks around in confusion, finally noticing the large, golden tentacle coiling around him, wrapping you and him together. It moves around like a snake, warm to the touch like  the air around a lightbulb that’s been on too long. It also seems to be vibrating almost like it’s...purring.

You’re still asleep on his chest but sometime during the night, your whole body  moved on top of him, your legs intertwining with his. A pounding headache throbs in his skull and magnifies everything; noise, light, it bring him nothing but pain, preventing him from going back to sleep. But with your magic curled around him, he can’t move or could he teleport.

“Lily, help,” Sans begs as she walks past him.

She takes one look at the situation and giggles, snapping a picture, “I’ve been trapped like that before too. It freaked me out the first time. I don’t even think she knows she’s doing it. The only way to get out is to wake her up,”

Sans struggles against the wrap, getting one hand out and using it shake you gently. Your stir and groan, falling back asleep, but the tentacle disappears completely. Sans crawls out of your grip, hugging a pillow in Sans’s place. He heads to the kitchen for some water and medicine, running into Daniel.

“morning,” he takes a seat next to the human, “everyone still asleep?”

“Yeah. The only one awake is Lily. She’s in the shower right now,” Daniel sips his coffee.

An awkward silence passes.

“You and _____ were awfully cute last night,” Daniel comments hollowly.

“are you going to threaten me? tell me i’m not good enough for her or if i hurt her you’ll shoot me with your shotgun,” Sans jokes half heartedly.

Daniel chuckles, “You’re right about the not good enough for her part. She deserves someone better. But I’m not going to threaten you. I find that in doing so, it’s patriarchal and rude so I’m not going to that. I respect ____ enough to trust her to make good decisions. She is an adult and can handle herself,”

“well, you don’t have to worry about that. ____ and i aren’t together,”

“Maybe not. But it’s clear that she loves you a lot. You should talk to her and see where your relationship stands. Because all this cutesy shit? It’s  only going to get toxic if you don’t figure out what’s going on,” Daniel finishes his coffee and rinses the cup in the sink.

Sans remains by the table, twiddling his thumbs, realizing that Daniel is right.


	37. Super Duper Laser Tag!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and the gang go laser tagging

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update! This chapter was super fun to write! Honestly, I was going to go with an escape room or laser tag, but I've never been to an escape room though I have played call of duty. Also can I just say how much I love Daniel?? Mostly for the jokes I can make from his name. See if you can find the hidden meme in this chapter.

You plug your headphones in your phone, selecting your instrumental playlist and lean against your propped up pillows. Holding your tragic novel on your lap, you get lost in its words. You being to tear up as you read through Valjean’s struggles, until finally someone knocks on your door, pulling you out of 1832 France. 

“Who’s there?” you call out. You already know it’s either Sans or Papyrus, but you help set up the joke anyway just in case it’s Sans. 

“broken pencil,” came the reply. 

Smiling, you say, “Broken pencil who?” 

“nevermind, it’s pointless,”

You laugh, inviting him in, “What’s up?”

Sans climbs on the edge of your bed, not meeting your eyes and his shoulders tense, “i wanted to talk to you about what happened last weekend at the sleepover.”

You feel your cheeks heat up in embarrassment, remembering every last detail; including how touchy you were and how you climbed on top of him. You’ve been avoiding this conversation, but you guess it’s time to deal with it, “I’m so sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Sans. Being drunk doesn’t excuse me of my actions-”

“no, stop, it’s fine. i enjoyed myself,” Sans chuckles, “but where does that leave us? i know we’re friends and all, but let’s not kid ourselves. what we were, no been doing, is not platonic. plus, given our history, we never really resolved what we had,”

You sigh, a heavy weight settling in your heart, “You’re right. How you do you want to start?”

“i still have feelings for you,” Sans states bluntly, confirming what you already knew. 

“I… don’t know what I feel,” you admit shamefully, “I still care about you. A lot. I just haven’t decided what to do yet. A part of me is still afraid of you,”

Sans takes your hands into his, pressing them against his teeth, “that’s okay. i understand. but until you figure it out, let’s just keep things between us platonic.”

You nod, guilt overtaking you at the thought of hurting him. 

“hey, what’s with that expression?” Sans lets go of your hand and tilts your chin to meet his eyes, “lighten up. the most important thing is that whatever happens, we’re still going to be friends and look out for each other,”

You smile, knowing that everything will be alright and hug him tightly. He hugs back, his blue jacket smelling like tomatoes and grease. 

“You’re going to that laser tag thing later right?” you ask, easing into casual conversation. 

“nah. too much exercise for my lazy bones,” Sans heaves himself off your bed. 

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” you beg, knowing that Papyrus would want Sans to get some fresh air. 

“well, since you asked so nicely,” Sans laughs, agreeing to come. 

The skeleton leaves, allowing you to return to your book. A few hours later, you change out of your pajamas and into something more practical for running around. Pulling a pair of dark skinny jeans and a striped t shirt out of your closet, you change, then tugging on a pair of combat boots. You check yourself out in the mirror,  finding  yourself decent enough and grab your phone. You meet Sans and Papyrus in the car, with Papyrus driving, Sans sitting shotgun, leaving you in the back. Papyrus turns the radio up, singing badly along to  _ Uptown Funk,  _ but you join in anyways, enjoying yourself. You love these two skeletons so much. Finally, you arrive at Undyne’s house, meeting your usual group of friends inside. 

“Is everyone ready to go? Alphys is waiting for us at the arena,” Undyne says. 

Everyone hollers in excitement and figure out the best car pool plan. In the end, it was humans: you, Daniel, Jack, Lily, and Frisk in one car, and the monsters: Undyne and the skeleton brothers, in the other. Undyne leads the way to the arena, with Daniel losing her a few times (from the multiple yellow lights she sped through) but caught up eventually. Once there, Alphys meets everyone outside with Mettaton by her side. The laser tag arena is bigger than you imaged it would be, looking more like a large plane hanger than a simple arcade you expected. 

“Welcome to my entertainment arena, darlings!” Mettaton holds up his hands as if he’s expecting an applause. 

He is only met with crickets. 

“Who is he?” Jack whispers to you. 

Luckily the robot didn’t hear that or decided not to pay attention, “You’re all here because a) you’re Alphys’s friends and b) you’re going to test out my new, high end, entertainment center!”

“A-Also known as laser tag,” Alphys clarifies. 

“Anyway…” Mettaton coughs in annoyance from the interruption, “This isn’t just a typical laser tag arcade. No, this is so much better! It’s a high tech simulator of a real life battlefield! It is my understanding, from observing multiple video game ratings, humans enjoy these kinds of things. Once you step inside, you will get to choose a map and the arena will transform itself into a hyper realistic simulation of the environment, including temperatures and winds.”

“why is an actor like you dabbling in video games?” Sans asks nonchalantly. 

“Why, I’m not just an actor, I’m an entertainer! And I strive to be the best entertainer on the surface! So I must extend my influence in every corner!” Mettaton poses dramatically. 

“Y-You’ll b-be outfitted into a jumpsuit that will track everything including your movements, heart rate, and stuff. It’ll also b-be a way to r-record the damage you’ve taken. Let’s go inside before I explain further.” Alphys leads everyone through the lobby, decorated with flashing pink lights, a help desk, and posters upon posters of Mettaton. 

The yellow dinosaur hands you each a black morph suit and point to the locker rooms, ordering you to wear the suit underneath your clothes and to meet her back in the lobby. You and your friends scatter into your respectable locker rooms. Once fully changed, you meet Alphys back in the lobby as promised. She and Mettaton leads your group inside the weapons room. The walls are lined with various types of good looking guns: machine guns, snipers, rifles, semi-automatics, pistols, handguns, and even knives and bombs. Mettaton attaches a device on your arm with a small square screen, displaying a health bar with the number three above it, also showing other player’s lives and health. 

“This device tracks your health,” Alphys explains, “You all each have three lives. Every time you lose a life, your weapons will shut down temporarily for one minute before starting up again. You can still receive damage though,”

Gesturing to the wall, Mettaton describe the rules of the game, “You can pick any weapon you want, but the max you can have is two, including knives and hand explosives. Pretty simple, shoot the enemy, their health depletes. The knives are plastic, just add pressure to the tip and the blade will retract, but your body suits will read the damage. You have unlimited ammo, but nothing to restore your health. Damage can vary, but if you get hit in any vital areas like your heart, you can instantly lose a life. Once you pick your weapons, you must keep them at all times. You cannot take another player’s weapons, even if they are out of lives. Once you’re dead, your weapons will shut down and you will exit the arena. You can join me and Alphys in the control room to watch the rest of the game if you want. You will all get into teams of two. Your objective is to destroy the other teams. Last team to stand wins.”

“A-Any q-questions?” 

Undyne raises her hand, “What happens when your partner runs out of lives?”

“You can still win! You’ll just be on your own,” Mettaton says, “Now get into your teams 

and pick your weapons! Once you’re all ready, choose your map on that ipad over there and wait for the door open. Alphys and I will be watching from the control room.”

“O-Oh and one more thing! No magic!” Alphys looks directly at you and Undyne before leaving. 

As soon as the door close, everyone scampers for a partner. 

“I call Lily!” Frisk rushes to your sister’s side. 

“I get Papyrus!” Undyne links her arms with Papyrus’s, stealing him away from Sans. 

“Don’t worry, babe, I’ll protect you,” Daniel hugs his boyfriend from behind, kissing his cheeks. 

“guess that leaves me with you,” Sans shrugs, his grin growing wider. 

“I’ve got your back,” you giggle, immediately browsing through the large selection of guns. 

You choose a black uzi, slinging it over your chest and a knife, sheathing it into your holster. Sans equips a wooden rifle across his back and slides a black handgun into his holster attached to his hips. Once everyone finished choosing, Undyne taps on the Ipad near the exit. 

“So what do you punks want to do? Marshland? Forrest? Abandoned city? Desert?” 

“Please, anything but the desert,” Lily groans. 

“Abandoned city sounds fun,” you suggest, relating to Lily’s aversion to heat. 

Undyne selects the abandoned city environment and takes a step back. The door opens automatically and everyone steps through. The sight before you takes your breath away. It was like you’ve been transported right into a city turned into a battlefield. The streets were completely run down, with the black gravel crunching under your feet. Most of the buildings are still intact, but completely dilapidated, with half of it missing and knocked down. The air is thick with dust and debris and you shiver from the winds. 

“WOWIE! ALPHYS HAS REALLY OUTDONE HERSELF!” Papyrus jumps in excitement. 

“NGAHHHH THIS AWESOME!!!” 

Suddenly, Alphys’s voice booms from the sky, “Now that you’re all ready, you have one minute to find your starting point. Try to spread out as much as possible. Once the clock hits zeros, the game will begin!” 

Mettaton grabs the microphone from Alphys and begin counting down from sixty. Everyone sprints off to different directions; you grab Sans’s hand and head deeper into the city. 

55...50...45...30

Sans spots an isolated bakery hidden in between an apartment building and a yogurt shop. You follow himself and close the door frantically, minding the broken glass. He takes you behind the counter and wait for the countdown to finish. 

10...9...8…

You hug your gun close to your chest, your hand placed on the trigger. 

3...2...1...Start!

Already, you can hear rapid gun shots being fired and Undyne’s loud roar ringing throughout the arena. 

“we need a plan,” Sans swings his rifle into his arms. 

“Point and shoot. It’s not that hard,” you say jokingly. 

Sans snickers, “that plan is so bad, it’s triggering me.”

You stifle a laugh so you won’t draw attention, “Our biggest concern is Undyne and Lily. Those two have actual military experience. But Undyne has Papyrus. Those two as a team will be quite formidable. We should take out Jack Daniels first,”

“Undyne and Paps both have machine guns. We won’t be able to face them head on,” 

You nod in agreement, “We should save them for last. Hopefully while we fight Jack Daniels, the other two teams will face each other,” 

“right. let’s go,” 

You and the skeleton leave the bakery through the back door to avoid being detected. Sans leads you down the empty alleyways, searching for any signs of your friends. You hear a crunch ahead of you and you sudden stop, pulling Sans behind a large trash bin. 

“Man, we are at a major disadvantage aren’t we?” you hear Daniel’s voice. 

“At least we’re having fun” Jack’s soft voice replies. 

“We already lost two lives, this is fun to you?” Daniel chuckles, “Do you think we lost them though?” 

“Yeah I think so. How did they find us so fast anyway?” 

“That Papyrus has excellent tracking skills,” Daniel’s footsteps come closer. 

You ready your gun, preparing to fire and jump from your hiding spot, Sans doing the same. However, you underestimated the two. Jack positions himself in front of Daniel and fires at you before you can even pull the trigger, knocking down your health points by five. Sans pushes your body down behind the trash for cover and fires at Daniel, dodging Jack’s attacks. Suddenly, Undyne high voice cuts through the air. 

“Look Papyrus! We found them!” Undyne shouts, cornering both teams. 

“NYEH HEH HEH! PREPARED TO BE DEMOLISHED BY TWO FORMER ROYAL GUARDS!” Papyrus fires his machine gun. 

You and the other team nod in a silent truce and you all run down the streets, occasionally firing behind you. According to your watch, you did minimal damage, but their attacks, hits you and Sans directly, both you losing a life. Crap, you’re both completely vulnerable right now. 

“SHIT!” you exclaim as you lose another half of your health. 

“we have to find a way to lose them!” Sans shoots at Undyne, knocking her health by five points. 

“We can split up!” Daniel suggests. 

“There’s two of them! One of them will just follow us!” you dodge a shot on your left. 

“I have an idea!” Jack stops, unhooking a smoke bomb from his belt and pull the pin, aiming it at the skeleton and the warrior. 

Smoke surrounds them, giving you four enough time and coverage to escape. You lead your group inside an office building, climbing to the third floor and into a conference room. The side of the room is completely knocked down, allowing you to see outside, but enough cover for Sans to shoot. The four of you lean against the wall, panting and clutching your chests. 

“That was the most exercise I’ve ever done,” Jack huffs. 

By now, yours and Sans’s weapons power back up. Daniel, not realizing this, raises his AK-47 at you and Sans, “Thanks for getting us out of there, but this is still a free-for-all”

You and the skeleton growl, taking aim. 

“Daniel wait!” Jack jumps in front of you and Sans, “Let’s be smart about this. They have two lives, we have one. These two have actually been in fights, maybe we can work together,”

“Work together?” Daniel tilts his head, considering. 

“We’ll never be able to take on the other teams ourselves. We’ll have a truce until there’s only us left,” 

“Well what’s stopping them from turning on us,” Daniel scowls. 

“We don’t,” you drop your gun in front of you, motioning Sans to do the same, “I think we should work together,” 

Daniel lowers his gun and sighs. You and Sans return your weapons to your side. 

“so, how do we beat undyne and paps? they’re the most powerful team here,” 

“We can recruit your sister? She can be helpful to us,” Jack suggests. 

You shake your head, “Three teams against one? That’s not really fair.”

“we can lure them into a trap or something?” 

“The roof,” Daniel points up, “One of us could lure them to the entrance while the team on the roof will shoot,” 

“That’s a pretty good plan!” Jack kisses his boyfriend on the cheek. 

You internally squealed at how cute they are. 

“okay, so who wants to be bait?” Sans lazily stretches. 

Daniel eyes you and makes a fist, “Rock, paper, scissors? Loser’s team will be bait,”

You smirk, “Fair enough,”

Rock...paper.scissors!

You both reveal your hands, your rock trumping his scissors. 

“Damn,” Daniel grunts, “Let’s go check out the roof before we take off,” 

The four of you move from your resting spot and make your way toward the roof, climbing two more flights for stairs. 

“There,” Jack points to the corner, where a giant hole in the wall offers some room to fire, “Can you guys get a clear shot from there?” 

Sans looks over to the wall and nods. 

“Okay, we’re off now,” Daniel gently tugs on Jack’s arm. 

“good luck out there, buddy,” Sans salutes. 

“If I don’t make it back, delete my browser history,” Daniel grins and runs into the dust. 

Sans sits down, resting his rifle on his lap, “this is more intense than i thought it would be,”

“But it’s fun right?” you smile brightly. 

“heh. i guess so,” Sans smiles back and your heart flutters. God, you adore him so much. 

“Sans, I-” 

“GUYS NOW!” Daniel screams from below. 

You and Sans immediately spring into action, firing at Undyne and Papyrus beneath you. You both get a couple good shots, even bringing both of their lives to one. Unfortunately,  Undyne and Papyrus realized where the attacks are coming from and quickly regain their advantage, despite being cornered. Undyne focuses on shooting you and Sans, while Papyrus eliminates Jack Daniels. Undyne rapidly fires, forcing you and your partner to take cover. Meanwhile, Jack and Daniel lost their last lives. 

“DELETE MY BROWSER HISTORY!” Daniel shouts before he and Jack exit the arena. 

When Sans looks over his cover, Undyne and Papyrus are already entering the building. 

“We need to go,” you state obviously, “Do you think we can get past them?” 

“if we could use magic, i could get us out of here really quick,” Sans grumbles, offering no help. 

“We’re gonna have to risk it,” you sigh, “Let’s go.”

You and your partner tread quietly down the stairs, trying to make as little noise as possible. Sans whispers not to attack when you run into them, they still have the advantage by being on their guard. You and the skeleton gets to the third floor undetected until you hear Papyrus’s loud voice coming up from the staircase. 

“DO YOU THINK THEY’RE EVEN STILL HERE?!” 

“They gotta be! There’s no way off that rooftop! We’ll run into them eventually!” 

Sans grabs you and holds you under a desk, his hand covering your mouth to muffle your breathing. Your heart rate accelerates from his touch and pray that the other monsters don’t hear it. 

“Did you hear something, Paps?” 

Oh shit. Fuck. Fuck. 

Sans readies his pistol. 

“It sounded like it was coming from over here,” Undyne’s steps gets closer and closer. You hear her stop right behind the desk you are hiding under. 

“I DIDN’T HEAR ANYTHING!” 

“Probably nothing then….”

Please leave, oh god please leave. 

Undyne’s footsteps grow fainter and further away until Papyrus and Undyne climb to the next level. Sans uncovers your mouth and you exhale in relief, leaning on his chest to steady your heart rate. 

“you okay?” Sans whispers.

You nod and move out of your hiding spot, slipping out of the building and into another street without any problems. By now, the sun begins to set and you wonder if that’s happening in real time too. How long have you been in here?

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” you say, gesturing to the sky, it’s pink and orange wings spreading, “Even if it’s just a part of the map, it feels almost real. Alphys did a really good job,” 

“yeah, she did,” Sans puts away his rifle and draws his pistol, “why don’t we we camp somewhere and wait for the other two to kill each other?”

“That’s not gonna happen,” Frisk’s voice rang behind you. 

Your turn around, Frisk brandishing a knife with Lily following closely behind, a sniper in her arms. 

“well...well...just like old times, huh frisk?” Sans winks. 

Frisk falters, pure guilt and sadness passing over their expression. Sans notices and softens up, “it’s okay kiddo. i’m only joking.”

Frisk’s smile returns. 

“I love you, Sis, but I don’t intend on losing,” Lily throws her sniper aside and pull out her own knife. 

“Don’t underestimate me, Lily,” even though it’s just a game, you can’t bring yourself to threaten your sister, evening the playing field by using your knife as well. 

Frisk and Lily attack first, but you and Sans quickly dodge. A silent understanding passed between you two. Sans takes Frisk while you take Lily. The other two human seems to have the same idea. Your sister charges at you, swiping left and right, but you dodge each one. Your blades collide, both of you trying to knock each other down with force, but Lily left her stomach wide open. You don’t want to physically hurt your sister, so you push her blade away, sacrificing a few of your health points, and sink your knife into her stomach. Lily yelps as she loses her second life, becoming more aggressive.You two dance around each other, until Lily regains her weapon’s power and charges again, but this time,you were so surprised by her speed, she thrusts her knife straight into your chest, taking one of your lives. You and your sister are both at one life left. Shit, you’re in trouble now. One more fatal hit and she could kill you. Same with her. You try to think as you dodge her attacks, but this time, she’s quicker, leaving no opening for you.You grunt as you begin to lose your stamina. Think! Think! Finally, you see you chance. Lily comes a little too close to you, thrusting out her knife wielding arm but you catch it, slowing her down enough for you to stab her right through the heart. Realizing what just happened, your sister stumbles back in shock, watching her life reach zero. 

“Huh. Great job, Sis!” Lily cheers, “Kick Undyne’s and Papyrus’s butt for me!” 

Your sister exits the arena, leaving Frisk alone. They have Sans pinned to the ground, their knife aiming at his chest, with Sans struggling to hold them back. You quickly retrieve your gun and fire multiple shots, all bringing their last life to zero. Frisk sees their loss and roll of the skeleton, helping him up. 

“That was fun guys! See you on the other side!” Frisk waves goodbye. 

“welp. i guess it’s just us and the other two. didn’t think we’d make it this far, to be honest,” Sans slides his pistol back into the holster. 

“You just have a great partner,” you wink. 

A faint blue dusts his cheeks and he chuckles, “heh. yeah. i do. let’s go find the last two. they have one left left just like us so even playing field.”

“The element of surprise is our best option. Like you said before, we won’t be able to face them head on,” the sun disappears leaving the starry night sky to blanket over the arena, “it’s dark which makes it easier to hide. Undyne and Papyrus aren’t really known to be quiet.” 

“element of surprise. got it. let’s go,”

It doesn’t take long for you to find them. Undyne and Paps are walking down the street, the gravel rolling with their boots. 

“Where could those two be!” Undyne growls in frustration. 

“MAYBE INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR THEM, WE SHOULD MAKE THEM LOOK FOR US!” 

You and Sans are cowering in a store, using the darkness as a cover. Papyrus’s and Undyne’s back faces your team, giving you and your partner the perfect opportunity. Sans goes first, aiming his rifle at Undyne. Steadying his breathing, he pulls the trigger, his shot going through her stomach, echoing throughout the silent city. Undyne freezes, checking her watch, confirming her loss. 

“UNDYNE!” Papyrus shouts, horrified at losing his partner. 

“P-Papyrus…” Undyne sinks dramatically to the ground, clutching her stomach in fake pain. You let them have their tender moment. 

“I’M HERE, UNDYNE! YOU’RE GONNA BE OKAY!” the tall skeleton rests his friend’s head on his lap, holding her hand. 

“aren’t they taking this a bit too seriously?” Sans whispers to you. 

You shrug, but watch in amusement. 

“Avenge....me…”Undyne’s body goes limp. 

“UNDYNE! NOOOOOO!” Papyrus howls, gently lowering her body before turning around, “WHICH ONE OF YOU DID THAT?!”

This is your chance. You take aim and fire straight at his chest, costing him his final life. 

“IN HINDSIGHT, I PROBABLY SHOULD’VE SEEN THIS COMING!” and like Undyne, Papyrus dramatically dies. 

You and Sans both rush to their side, helping them up. They abandoned city flickers and disappears, the lights turning on, revealing a gray playing field with multiple structures, that were probably the buildings, as they sink into the ground. The rest of your friends, file in, clapping. 

“C-Congratulations ____ and Sans! You guys won!” Alphys and every one of your friends cheer. 

Realization sudden sinks in. You won! You actually won! Turning to Sans, you see his grin growing wider, a sparkle twinkling in his eyes. An overwhelming feeling overtakes your soul until you cannot take it anymore. You grab his shoulders and pull him close to you, pressing your lips against his teeth. You express all your feelings through the kiss. God you love him so much. You will never love another person like you love him. His bad puns, scent of ketchup and grease, his lazy kindness, you fell for it all. And hard. 

You feel his body go rigid, but soon relaxes. He cups your face and kissing you back. Your friends whistle and holler, but you tune them out. Right now it’s him and only him. You pull back, panting hard, your heart beating thunderously. 

“I love you,” you finally admit, “There, I said it. I love you and I can’t imagine my life without you.” 

“then marry me,” Sans blurts out. 

Your friends collectively gasps, holding in their breaths. 

“W-What?” did… you hear him right?

Sans’s eye sockets go black, realizing what he just said, but there’s no going back. He refuses to. Instead, he takes your hand into his and gets down on one knee, looking straight into your wide eyes. 

“____, will you marry me?” 

You don’t have butterflies in your stomach. No. You have fireworks, your soul bursting inside you as a dam breaks, releasing everything. You can’t stop it, you won’t stop it. Tears fall down your face like a waterfall as you stand there, sobbing from happiness, your body trembling. Sans looks at you in alarm. Realizing that you haven’t answered yet, you nod frantically, unable to form words. 

“Y-Yes!!!” you finally manage to croak out. 

“wha- really?!” Sans’s eye sockets widen in disbelief. 

“Yes, you bonehead!” you cry out louder this time. 

Sans’s eyes light up brighter than any star you’ve seen and gets up to kiss you, pushing aside your teas as he kisses your forehead, your cheeks, and your smile. 

“DOES THIS MEAN I GET A SISTER? I’VE ALWAYS WANTED A SISTER!” Papyrus hugs you and Sans tightly. 

You laugh through the tears, “I already consider you my brother, Papy.” 

The rest of your family joins you in embrace; Jack Daniels sobbing with you, Undyne and Alphys smile at each other, remembering their love, Frisk crawling in between you and Sans, hugging you both, Lily holding your hand, pride shining through her green eyes, a silent message passed onto you. 

“We made it,” it says. 

Even Mettaton is there, capturing this beautiful moment on camera, shedding his own tears. 

Your heart swells with love as you lay in the embrace of the love of your life and the family that adopted you. 

You’ve never been more happier. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit, as I wrote this, I teared up a little. After 17 chapters, Reader and Sans are offically back together! This honestly made me feel so emotional because I never have to hurt their relationship again. Also, I just want to say thank you, for those who've been sticking around since the start of the second arc in July. These past few months have been nothing but angst, combined with slower updates. I promise, there will be more fluff from now on.


	38. Vanilla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sans enjoy each other's company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***NSFW CHAPTER, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK***  
> I reuploaded this chapter because the last one wasn't that great. After spending a day to make the changes, I am finally happy with the way it turned out. Also, just in time for Valentines Day!

You lay in your bed, tucked under Sans’s arms and light snores. You’ve already attempted escape five times, but every time you try to leave you fiance’s cuddles, he just  pulls you in tighter.

Heh. Fiancé.

As much as you want to lie in bed forever with him, you have special plans for the two of you today and the cuddling comes later. You wiggle yourself out of his relentless grip, eliciting a small groan in protest from him. Asshole. He’s been awake this whole time. You wedge a pillow under his arms as your replacement. Looking at the baggy t-shirt and cotton pants you went to bed in, you shake your head in disapproval. No, this won’t do. Rummaging through your closet, you pull out a small black tank top that is way too small for you and your shortest pair of loose black shorts. No longer caring that Sans is in the room, you ditch your t shirt for the tank top, forgoing a bra since you have no plans to go out, and you pull on your shorts, tightening it around your waist with the white string. Your nipples poke through the fabric, but you don’t care anyways. It’s not like it matters. Looking over your shoulder, Sans is still snoring away, but with a bigger grin on his face. You can’t help but smile to yourself.

You quietly close the door behind you and make your way to the kitchen. It was Papyrus’s text that woke you up that morning, stating that he’s going to Alphyne’s house after work and that he won’t be coming home at all. Bless his pure, angelic soul. Browsing the cabinets, you find the instant pancake mix and grab the blueberries from the fridge. After washing them, you slice them up into tiny chunks, heating the pan on the stove and filling the mix with milk and water. You dump the blueberries into the mix, stirring it with a wooden spatula. As you pour the batter into the pan, you feel skeletal arms wrap around your waist, his chin resting on your shoulders.

“smells good,” Sans says as he kisses your cheeks.

“I was going to surprise you in bed,” you giggle, “I would’ve done this earlier, if a certain skeleton monster hadn’t trapped me,”

“i dunno what you’re talking about, sugar,” Sans presses his teeth against your lips.

“Don’t be a dick,” you giggle as you nudge him away so you don’t accidentally burn down the house, “Shit, we’re out of whipped cream. Mind popping in the store and grabbing it for me?”

Before you can even turn around, Sans is already gone, then he pops back in with the item in hand. You have to admit, that was pretty impressive. Once you finished cooking, you make two stacks for both you and Sans. Your could feel fiancé staring at you all morning, especially when you put away and wash the dishes, though you pretend not to notice. You even put some extra suave in the sway of your hips and subtly thrust your chest out when you can. Once you and Sans finish cleaning up, the two of you scroll through Netflix on the couch, settling on a sitcom.

“so any plans for today?” Sans asks as he strokes your hair.

“I’m hoping we could stay in. I’m still sore from yesterday,” you stretch your arms and position yourself on top  of him, straddling his lap, “And besides, Papyrus is sleeping over Alphyne’s tonight. Which means we have the whole house to ourselves.

“to ourselves, huh?” Sans echoes.

“Mhm~” you cup his face and gently lean in to kiss him, relaxing into his body.

Sans runs his fingers at your sides, tickling you slightly. Your breathing becomes heavier and so does his as he moves from your lips to your neck. His hands trail up your body, stopping right under your breasts. He hesitates, looking at you for permission. You smile and nod your head, watching his hands glide over your breasts and rubbing your hardening nipples through your tank top. Sweat begins to form on his skull and his hands tremble on your skin.

“Hey. Relax. You’re okay,” you stop him, taking his skeletal hands into yours and kissing them.

“i don’t want to mess up,” Sans admits, his soul glowing through his shirt.

Smiling softly, you release his hands and pull your tank top over your head, exposing your naked body to him. This time, you are not afraid. Sans’s breath hitches at the sight before him and you can feel him hardening under you. You slowly shift your body, giving him a little tease.

“Sans, I love you, but that is the stupidest thing you’ve ever said,” you call out your golden soul, shining like the sun, placing it in his palms, “I trust you.”

The skeleton’s eyes widen at the weight in his hands looking back and forth between you and your floating heart. That was enough to convince him. He puts your soul back into your body, then holds you close, teleporting you into your room. Sans doesn’t even give you time to recover before throwing you on the bed. He tackles your breasts once again, kneading your bare skin while playing with your tongue with his.

“fuck, look at these,” Sans gropes your boobs, staring at them hypnotically, “you’re so fucking perfect,”

Eyeing the blue bulge in his shorts, you place your hand there, granting you a rough groan, but he doesn’t stop you. You rub his hard dick through his pants while Sans continues to bite your neck, trailing down your shoulders while flicking your nipples. An idea strikes your head; something you’ve always wanted Sans to do. You release his dick and push him gently to get his attention. Once you have it, you pull his face closer to your breasts.

“W-Will y-you-”

Sans, already knowing what you want, latches onto your immediately, licking, sucking, and nibbling your sensitive tits. You are writhing under this touch, a heat forming in between your legs as shivering shocks run through your body. His hands pull at your waistband, dropping your shorts on the floor. He lets go of you with a pop and take in your naked form except for your panties, completely submitting under him.

“heh cute…” he rubs your sex through your panties, “look at that. you’re already completely wet,”

“Sans! Don’t say such embarrassing things!” you cover your reddening face with your hands.

“embarrassing?” Sans takes your hands and pushes him above your head, keeping them in place in place with his magic, “i want to see that cute face of yours when i give you your first orgasm,”

You tremble under his words, feeling yourself getting wetter and wetter. A knot curls in your chest as your mind goes hazy with complete lust, any rational thought flittering away. God, you want him. You need him. You thrust out your pelvis, begging him to take you.

“Please, Sans. I’m so fucking turned on right now, make me cum, please make me cum,” you don’t stop your lewd words, even though you might be embarrassed by it later.

Sans’s eye sockets go dark, his bones rattling as he struggles to contain himself, “shit. holy fucking shit, you’re so hot,”

Sans rips away your panties, throwing away the scraps. He rubs your clit in quick circular motions. Building the pressure inside of you. Shocks of pleasure drives away any of your thoughts, the only thing on your mind is him and only him.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” you scream repeatedly as your orgasm builds.

Right before you can explode, Sans immediately withdraws his hand. You gasp from the sudden change, whining in desperation.

Looking at your expression, Sans chuckles, “heh. not yet sweetheart,”

“G-Go easy on me. It’s my first time after all,”

Upon hearing your words, a wildfire burns in your fiance’s eye and with little warning, he slips a finger inside of your slit. You flinch in shock and squirm in discomfort.

Sensing your unease, Sans stops, but doesn’t remove his finger, “are you okay? should we stop?”

“N-No, I just need to get use to it,” your breathing steadies.

“relax…” Sans gently pushes your knees down and doesn’t start moving again until you release all your tensions.

Though the ache still remains, relaxing does make it more tolerable. Sans slips another finger inside of you and expertly stretch open your hole, running around as if he was looking for something. He watches your expression to make sure you’re not in pain, slowing down whenever you scrunch your face.

“come on, where is it?” Sans mumbles.

“Where is wha-OHHH” you moan out as pleasure hits you out of nowhere.

“heh. found it,” Sans smirks.

The skeleton begins to stroke your inner walls, your moans becoming louder with each stroke. The pressure builds again as your sex tingles with pure heat. You moan out his name, his growls driving you over the edge. You are close. So close. You can’t take it anymore! The building pressure finally explodes, clenching your walls as you lull your head back, screaming his name in ecstasy. You release your cum all over him, drenching his shorts and your floor.

“holy shit. you’re a squirter too? can you get anymore perfect?”

You collapse in his arms, your body still shaking from your first ever orgasm. You’re overwhelmed by complete love and adoration for this man. He kisses your lips and cups your face, his phalanges will wet from your juices.

“are you okay for more?” Sans asks gently.

You nod your head slowly, not wanting this to be over yet.

He casts aways his shorts and holds his hard cock in his hands, allowing you to admire it. Your eyes widen at the glowing blue dick, your slit still dripping with your juices. It’s shaped like an average size dick, about five inches you estimate, but with a wide girth with no veins or foreskin. He rubs it against your opening, lubricating himself with your wetness and his pre cum.  You suddenly feel very nervous.

“Is...it going to fit?”

Rolls of sweat drips down his head and you can tell how hard he is trying to keep himself together, “this might hurt a bit. i’ll go slow, but there’s not much else i can do, so if you need to, say red for stop and yellow for slow down. can you repeat that back to me?”

“Red is stop, yellow is slow down,” you echo.

“heh. good. you’re so fucking good. i’m going to enter now okay?”

You nod and brace yourself for whatever may come. Sans grabs your hips and begin to push himself inside of you. As your opening stretches, you whimper in burning pain, your vagina beginning to throb. You start to cry, struggling to keep yourself together. Your breathing becomes ragged and you clench the bed sheets, trying to ignore the acid fire scorching your hole Sans grunts as he slowly pushes himself in.

“f-fuck, you’re tight,”

Finally, Sans makes it all the way inside and despite the pain expressed through your tears, Your stomach flutters. The skeleton pauses, allowing you to get use to the length inside of you.

“i’m going to start moving now, okay?”

“I-It hurts,” you cry, “Distract me.”

Sans happily obliges, tilting your chin till he meets your lips. He slips his tongue inside your mouth and plays with yours. He slowly starts thrusting, every movement burning your hole unpleasantly. Sans kisses away your tears, murmuring small praises and compliments. The pain soon eases up and you voice this to your lover, who quickens his pace in response, driving you to ecstasy.

“S-Shit Sans, this feels so good! Don’t stop, please don’t stop!” you scream through another orgasm ripping through you, tearing your core, cumming on his dick as your arch your back, your eyes rolling to the back of your head, leaving you panting.

“fuck, ____, you’re so fucking sexy. how does it feel to have your virginity taken? god, i love you.    **i. fucking. love. you,** ” Sans lets out a loud grunt as he cums inside you, filling your uterus with a glowing blue warmth. You could even see the glow through your skin.

Your fiancé collapses next to you, breathing hard, as beads of sweat rolls down his face. You both lay there in exhaustion, but so filled with love for each other. You turn on your side, kissing him on his cheeks.

“That was amazing. Thank you,” you smile, your eyes shining with delight.

“glad you enjoyed it sweetheart,” Sans wraps his arms around you, allowing you to rest on his chest.

“You came inside though. Is that okay?” you furrow your brow in concern.

“it should be. the human body isn’t capable to carrying a monster baby,” Sans absentmindedly stroke your hair.

“We should check in with Alphys anyway,”

“mhm,” Sans sighs, “for now, just let me hold you.”

You snuggle into his warm, tracing his bones with your finger.

“hey sweetheart?”

“Yes, boneboy?”

“did i mention you’re boobiful?”

You laugh loudly and shut him up with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't be like Sans and Reader. Always remember to wear a condom!  
> Also, some parts may be inaccurate so don't use this as a reference for sexual knowledge. 
> 
> *IMPORTANT NOTICE*  
> I am taking in requests which I will integrate into this fic. Send me kinks, scenarios, anything and I will add it in. I will only take in 3 at a time and they can be sfw or nsfw. There certain things I'm uncomfortable with and i will let you know I wont write it for that reason. Message me on my tumblr [ Maplemesyrup ](http://www.maplemesyrup.tumblr.com/ask) if you want a request but please read the [ rules ](http://maplemesyrup.tumblr.com/rules) before you do. The plot takes priority over requests, so I will add them in when I see fit, so please be patient if I don't get to yours right away.


	39. Amber and Topaz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sans get a scolding from Dr. Alphys and Daniel gives you a gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ sorry if this chapter is so short. I wanted to write something before I take a break (I wrote 7 chapters in 3 three weeks!) and focus on the last chapter of this arc. If you guys don't already know, I'm taking in writing requests, but I'm only doing three at a time. Right now, all the slots are filled, but I will open it up again when I'm done with all of them! Please refer to my [ rules ](http://maplemesyrup.tumblr.com/post/157253920456/requests-rules-regulations) before sending in a request.

“Y-YOU GUYS DIDN’T U-USE A CONDOM?!!” Alphys screams, her shouts echoing throughout her lab. 

“putting one on would’ve killed the mood,” Sans shrugs, meanwhile, you hide behind the skeleton, terrified of the doctor’s wrath. 

Man, you thought Undyne was scary. 

Alphys clenches her fists and turned away, counting back from ten under her breath. You slap your face and shake your head. Even you knew that was a stupid thing to say. 

“Y-You guys have to be safer. I-I expected you to be at least more responsible, ____”

You look away in guilt, “That’s why we came here today. Sans said that I can’t get pregnant because I’m a human, but I wasn’t too sure. It’s not like I know how monster pregnancies work.”

Alphys scratches her chin, deep in thought, “H-He’s n-not wrong. h-human and monsters can’t have biological children. Monsters are created by magic and humans lack the amount of m-magic need to create a child. You two aren’t the only monster/human couple, but ____ isn’t a regular human. You have large amounts of magic, but I’m not sure if it’s enough to carry a child. I would like to run some tests. 

You involuntarily flinch away at the mention of tests. Sans picks up on this and holds your hand. 

“Alphys, I’m not sure if I’m comfortable with that…” 

The doctor’s eyes soften and nod in understanding, “T-That’s o-okay. Though all the test r-requires are some scans. Nothing else,” 

“No needles or slicing?” you ask apprehensively. 

Alphys shakes her head. 

“Then let’s do it. I want to make sure,” you say with confidence, squeezing your fiance’s hand. 

Alphys leads you to another part of her lab, the white fluorescent lights flickering white. A large monitor, the size of a movie screen, dominates the room with a wide control panel placed right in front of it. Alphys has you sit down on a metal slab while she grabs some of her materials. Your body shudders slightly as the memory of the Righteous laboratory resurfaces, but Sans stays close, holding your hand while running his thumb across your palm and calming you down. Alphys returns with some wires and a tube and asks you to take off your shirt. You blush, but comply, pulling it over your head and giving it to Sans. The doctor sticks the wires on you, the suction pads colder than you anticipated. She places them on your shoulders, your stomach, and two right above your heart. 

Once she’s finished, Alphys doesn’t meet your eyes, a blush spreading across her scaly face, “I-I uhmm...need you call out your s-soul for me.”

Sans scowls at the request, but doesn’t say or do anything to stop you. Your heart leaps as he gives you another reason to love him. Although you appreciate his protectiveness from time to time, you love him even more for not interfering with your choices. You know that you can’t just hand over your soul to anyone. They could easily crush it or destroy it, intentional or accidental, so giving your soul to another person to hold is the biggest sign of trust. You hesitate, but this is Alphys. She’s been with you through thick and thin, after all, she’s the first person to know about your magic, she’s the first person that took care of your injuries after the warehouse incident, and she’s the only doctor on this planet that you trust. 

You call out your soul, the bright yellow heart floating inches before you. Alphys places her claw on your shoulders and smiles knowingly. She gently cups your soul and coaxes it into the tube and plug some wires in it. The doctor turns the monitor on, a silhouette of your body on display with tracks of yellow light scattered around your body. 

“Woah,” Alphys and Sans gasps at the same time, staring at the screen. 

“What? What is it?” 

“T-These lights uh, represent your magic,” Alphys points at the screen, “A-As you can see, it’s mostly c-concentrated around your upper body,”

“your magic is offense based,” Sans notices the tilt of your head then explains further, “it’s no surprise really, considering the nature of your soul, but that just means your magic is most powerful when you’re directly attacking. there are other magic types like how tori’s magic is more healing centered and alphys is more defense. undyne is pretty offense too,” 

“Does this mean I can learn healing magic?” you ask nonchalantly, masking your desire to become something more than the weapon Gaster designed you to be. 

Sans shakes his head sadly, “no. since you weren’t born with magic and gaster created you with only one specific type of power, you can’t learn anything else.” 

“O-Oh…” 

“B-But your m-magic levels are high enough to conceive a c-child,” Alphys fixes her glasses frame.

“But I’m not pregnant right now am I?” 

“N-No, but if you’re not planning on having a b-baby right now, please use protection,” the doctor chides. 

You and Sans both sigh in relief, “Thank you, Alphys, we will,” 

The doctor returns your soul and remove the wires. Sans returns your shirt. After saying your goodbyes, you and Sans head outside where the skeleton calls for an Uber. 

“No teleporting today?” 

“nah, it’s tiring. gotta take breaks, you know?” 

You and your fiance fall into a comfortable silence, your shoulders touching, but from his far away expression, you could tell he had something on his mind. 

“what if you were pregnant?” Sans finally speaks.

“Sans?”

“we never really talked about having children before, or starting a family…”

“We’ve been engaged for less than a week,” you giggle trying to deter the topic. 

“but this is something we should talk about. do you want to start a family someday?” 

You pause and sigh, “I’m happy with the family we have now. And I don’t know… children were never in my plans. Then again, my life never goes according to plan,” 

“i’m sorry if i upset you,” Sans wraps his arms around you from behind, “tibia honest, i’m neutral about the idea. all i want is to be with you. if somewhere down the road a kid comes along, then i’ll love them as much as i love you,”

You smile and pull him into a kiss and your Uber arrives a minute later. Your ride drops you off at work first, but before you leave, you kiss the skeleton goodbye and remind him to pick you up at seven. Daniel greets you as you enter the bookstore and you fall in rhythm with your daily chores. You feel particularly light today, engaging in easy conversation with customers and ringing up more sales than usual. You go through your task quickly and efficiently, leaving you with enough free time to chill and relax as the store slows down. 

“Sooooo you and Sans finally did it huh?” Daniel creeps up from behind you as you scroll through your phone behind the counter. 

You screech and jump, releasing a small burst of magic, “Daniel! Don’t startle me like that!” 

Your best friend laughs and pats you on the back playfully, “Come on, tell me the details! Does he have a dick? How does that even work?” 

You blush furiously and bury your face inside your hands, “H-How do you even know about that?”

“You have the sex glow,” Daniel states like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

“The what now,”

“You know, the sex glow. You’re happier and chirpier than your usual self. Plus you look like you’re walking on clouds,” 

“Oh come on, that’s not a thing,” you scoff. 

“Then is there a reason why you’re so happy today, other than sex?” Daniel smirks.

You don’t answer him, instead, hide your flustered face and smack him, telling him to shut up. 

“Alright, alright, you don’t have to tell me anything,” Daniel chuckles amused by your reaction, “As long as you’re being safe, I won’t mention it again,”

You look into the camera like you’re in the office. 

“By the way, I got you something,” Daniel rushes into his office and brings back a small box with green wrapping paper, “It’s been eight months since we’ve officially met so it’s an anniversary gift. You can also count it as your early birthday present too,”

“Daniel...you shouldn’t have. I didn’t get you anything,” you are truly touched by the gesture, your heart warming in the love you have for him. 

“I know,” Daniel winks, “That’s why I wanted to surprise you. Go on, open it,”

You slowly unwrap the box, tearing the wrapping paper away, revealing a square cardboard box. Opening the lid, you gasp, nearly dropping the box as you find a beautiful decorative hair comb, embedded with flower petal shaped pearls with topaz gems as the bud. Swirls of small, shining diamonds circle around it in opposite directions, all while held together by an amber comb. 

“D-Daniel...this is…” you try your best to hold back your tears. 

“This is your ‘something old’” Daniel kisses the top of your head, “My mother wore it on her wedding day and told me to give it to my fiancée when we get married. But you know, I don’t plan on marrying a woman, so it’s best if you have it,” 

“I-I can’t take t-this. It w-was your mom’s, it must mean so much to you-”

“But it would mean a lot more if you take it. You’re family to me, ____. Even though Sans and I don’t get along very well, I want you two to be happy together, and for you to have the perfect wedding,” 

Your tears burst out, no longer able to contain them. You sob loudly into your hands as you’re overwhelmed with such joy and you wonder how you lucky you are to have the people in your life. Daniel pulls you into his arms and allows you to stain his shirt with your tears. 

“You’re my best friend you know that?” you choke out, “You were there for me when no one else was. You took me in at my worst state and cared for me with no questions asked. You were always so patient with me, even when I told you what I really am, and what I almost did to you, you still let me stay. And now, you’re doing it all over again with my sister.” 

You gasp for air, but continue to bawl your eyes out. 

“I just have one more favor to ask you.” 

“What is it?” Daniel strokes your hair. 

“Will you walk me down the aisle?” you hiccup. 

You could feel his own hot tears dripping on your head and falling on your cheeks. He hugs you tighter and buries his face in your hair, “It would be an honor.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I intended Daniel to be a small side character with no real impact, but he's grown to be so much more than that and I love writing him so much.


	40. Birthday Bash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's your birthday!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys holy shit, it's 6 am and I'm ready to pass out any minute. So if you find mistakes, please let me know. 
> 
> Request filled: Sensitive bones.  
> I hope I did a good job on this request! I've never tried writing something like this before if you have any critiques, please let me know! If you would like a request, please read my [ rules ](http://maplemesyrup.tumblr.com/post/157253920456/requests-rules-regulations) first. 
> 
> Also, this is the final chapter for Arc Two:Righteous! I'm going to take a small break to plan out the next arc, but don't worry, I won't be totally absent! While I'm planning, I'll fill out some requests and take some more. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

*NSFW BEGINS*

You gradually regain your senses as the morning light breaks through the window, the birds singing their song. Not wanting to wake up just yet, you sink back into your fluffy pillows and soft blankets with a large mass of bones spooning you from behind. Skeletal hands snake under your shirt and gropes your left boob, rolling your nipples in between his fingers.

“Mhm Sans, it’s too early for that,” you protest, but do nothing to stop it.

“you sure about that?” Sans mumbles in your ear as he releases your boob and trail under your shorts.

You shudder and part your legs for him, moaning softly as he rubs your clit in small circles. He breathes hotly on your neck, his erection rubbing on your ass through his shorts. His pace quickens and he brings you to  the edge of an orgasm, your moans becoming louder, but Sans quickly covers your mouth with his free hand since Papyrus is still home. Suddenly, you clutch your sheets and moan out his name  as stars burst in your vision, a tingling shock rippling throughout your body, leaving your legs twitching.

“happy birthday, sugar,” Sans kisses you on the head.

“Cum on, that can’t be all, right?” you tease, turning around to face him and poke him in the ribs.

Sans laughs at your pun and nuzzles your cheek, “don’t worry. we can have lots of birthday sex tonight,”

“Nu uh, we’re not done yet,” with one swift motion, you pull the blankets off him.

“what are you…?”

You start by kissing his vertebra, trailing down to the right side of his ribs, gliding over his glossy white bones, all tasting like salt. His breath hitches and you could hear his soul drum harder as you get to his ribs, nibbling on them gently, watching his lustful reactions. Finally, you pause at his pelvis, his blue bulge hardening through his pants.

“Is this okay? Should I continue?” you ask because consent is important for both parties.

Sans frantically nods and you slowly pull down his pants and toss them aside. His glowing dick springs up at you, but you’re more curious about the bones surrounding them. You’ve seen his penis before, obviously, but you never really had the chance to see his pelvis up close. You trail your fingers over his two iliums, feeling the smooth bones under your fingertips, his bones tightening under you. He sighs out your name in burning need, but you ignore his cries for now. You have some exploring to do. You gently rub his coccyx while licking his ischium, the skeleton’s moans becoming louder as he writhes under your touch.

“oh, god, ____, please, give me more,” your fiancé cries.

You giggle and indulge him, rubbing his iliac crests until his dick twitches, desperate for attention, but you watch your lover, his white orbs forming  into little hearts, cursing pleasurably under his breath. His face turns bright blue as sweat rolls down his face. Being merciful, you firmly grasp his throbbing dick, twisting your wrist to rub it up and down, the wet sounds drowned out by the sighs of relief.

“g-gotta, nghh, _h-hand_  it to you sweetheart,” Sans huffs in between his pant, “you’re good at this,”

Your heart flutters at the compliment so you lick around the base then going all the way up to his tip.

Holy fuck. He taste like fucking blueberries. You actually had to take a moment to hold back your laughter before you could continue. Shit, you’ll never be able to eat your favorite candy again.

Calming yourself back down, you open your mouth wide and suck on his head first, the sweet flavor exploding in your mouth like pop rocks. Then you slowly work your way down his shaft, stopping at the middle since you can’t seem to take anymore of him. No matter, you have all the time in the world to practice. You bob your head halfway and use your hands to cover what you couldn’t take in. Holding back your jaw so you don’t accidently graze him with your teeth, you blow him enthusiastically. Finally, you could feel his dick swell inside your mouth and you suck harder.

“fuck! fuck! i’m going to cum!”

You let him go with a pop and move aside as cum erupts from his cock, sputtering all over your sheets. Returning to his side, you lovingly kiss him, telling him how wonderful he is. Your fiancé sits up, allowing you to sit on his lap, to even out his breathing.

“So...when were you going to tell me?” you tease him playfully.

“tell you what?” Sans raises a bone brow.

“You know what!” you playfully smack him.

Sans laughs, light and full of amusement, “what was i supposed to say? stop eating that lollipop of yours because it reminds me of my dick?”

“Touché,” you mumble.

*NSFW ENDS* 

Sans kisses you on your lips, “go get ready, sweetheart. jack daniels and your sister is taking you somewhere today right? they’ll probably be here soon,”

“You’re not coming with me?”

“nah. papyrus asked me to help him and the other monsters set up for the party. i also have some matters to finish up before i see you again tonight,”

“Ooh how mysterious. Wanna tell your lovely fiancée what you’re doing?” you crack a smile.

“don’t worry, you’ll see. now go,”

You give him one last kiss and slide off your bed and grab your towel. After turning on the shower, you get in, feeling the heat sprinkle down your naked skin, your vanilla shampoo filling the air with its sweetness. Once you finish, you wrap a towel around yourself, and return to your room, finding a single rose, a box of chocolates, and a bouquet of blueberry lollipops on your now clean bed. A tender warmth spreads across your chest as you open the chocolates, popping one in your mouth. You refuse to touch the lollipops, but you now have the best weapon to subtly tease your future husband in public. Seeing the clock strike one, you quickly change into a pair of dark skinny jeans, a white t shirt, and a leather jacket. As you brush through your hair, you hear the doorbell ring and Papyrus welcoming the guests inside. Someone knocks on your door and you allow them inside.

“Happy birthday, sister!” Lily pulls you into a tight hug. She smells like lavender today, “Are you ready to go? Jack Daniels is waiting outside.”

“Yep! Just let me grab my phone,”

You and your sister move into the living room, where Jack and Papyrus are having a friendly discussion about the best way to use a cooking knife.

“Hey there’s the birthday girl!” Daniel twirls you a few feet above the ground then hands you to Papyrus who squeezes you tightly like a lemon.

“So, where are we going today?” you ask curiously since no one has told you anything yet.

“We’re going ice skating!” Jack exclaims eagerly, “The three of us have been ice skating together a lot and it’d be great if you join us!”

Lily clutches your jacket and leans in, “I’ve been the third wheel for the past month, help me dear sister,”

You throw your head back in laughter, “Alright, sounds fun! Shall we go?”

“HAVE FUN! THE REST OF US WILL SET UP THE PARTY!” Papyrus’s smile radiates the entire room.

“Don’t go too overboard okay? I just want a lowkey anime night birthday party,” you remind him.

“YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON ME!” Papyrus flexes his bones.

You and the other humans slide into Daniel’s car, with Lily in the front to help him navigate. That leaves you in the back with Jack who stares out the window in content, watching the buildings pass by. Realizing that you rarely spend alone time with your best friend’s boyfriend and that you know very little about him, you engage in small talk.

“So I heard you’re a nursing student?” How’s that going?”

Jack’s expression lights up in excitement his brown eyes twinkling with passion, “It’s going great! I’m actually starting an internship with Dr. Alphys in the fall. I want to be able to do what she does, treat human and monsters with their combined technologies and medical advancements.”

“That’s great!” you exclaim, eager to have another human invested in both monster and human worlds, “You’re going to be a great nurse!”

“Well, I still have a ton of schooling to go through…not to mention exams…”

You find his hands and hold up in front of you while meeting his eyes, “You’re going to be wonderful. I believe in you.”

Jack blushes red in embarrassment.

“You’re not trying to flirt with my boyfriend are you?” Daniel teases.

“Please don’t tell Sans!” you laugh, releasing Jack’s hands.

Soon, Daniel pulls into a parking lot and comes to a stop. The four of you climb out of the car and into the crowded parking lot. Lily leads you into the wide building and opens the door, a blast of cold air hitting you in the face. The ice rink stadium is larger than you thought it would be with many customers skating around the rink under the fluorescent white lights. Parents hold onto their child’s little hands as they try to keep the balance, while professional ice skaters as young as five glide effortlessly through the ice, almost like they were flying. Some practiced their routine; twirling, jumping, or twizzling around the ice, while others stand in line at the snack bar, holding a cup of hot chocolates in their gloved hands.

“Wow, this place looks amazing!” you say, “But I have no idea how to ice skate.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you,” Lily leads you to the shoe rental booth and asks for your size.

You tug on your skates and tie the long laces together. Placing your regular shoes  in the locker, Lily helps you up to get use to balancing on the blades.

“Try walking around in them and see how they feel,”

You do so with ease without needing to hang onto your sister.

“Good. Now let’s get on the ice. We can go slow,” Lily leads you to the rink and doesn’t let you go.

Your first step was harder than you thought. Immediately, you can feel the cold slipperiness of the frozen water as you shake in your skates, trying to keep the balance. Hanging onto the wall for dear life, you take small glides and occasionally slip, but Lily always catches you before you hit the ground.

“Keep your dominant leg still and push outward with the other. Use your still leg to navigate,” your sister advises.

Jack Daniels passes you a couple times, but are too enamored with with each other to notice you.

“Show me your eros, Jack!” Daniel skates around his boyfriend, a loving spark twinkling in his eyes.

After two rounds, you feel confident enough to let go of the wall, but your shins burn from the workout. You pick up your speed, your sister encouraging and praising you all the way. You’re still going pretty slow compared to other skaters, but at least you’re not going at a snail's pace anymore.

“So have you and Sans chosen a date yet?” Lily asks as two kids pass by.

“Not yet. I kind of want a winter wedding, but I’m not sure yet. We haven’t talked much about the wedding actually,” you admit.

“What? Then what have you guys been doing?!”

“Lots of sex,” you wink.

“Ew gross! I don’t want to know about that!” Lily twists her face in disgust, causing you to laugh.

“So, you’re joining the Ebott police force,” you say, changing the conversation topic.

Your sister nods her head, “I didn’t know if they would let me in because of my automail and my connection to the Righteous,  but they did. This is the one thing I know how to do, Sis. One day, I hope I can be police chief, but for now, I’ll start by handing out speeding tickets.”

Your heart clenches with concern about the line of work your sister chose. Of course you’re going to support her no matter what, but you know it could get dangerous and police work could be risky. You can’t lose her again, you just can’t.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” Lily smiles in reassurance, “I have an awesome sister to protect me.”

You relax a little and stop at the wall, pulling her into a hug, “I love you.”

“I love you too,”

“Okay, now let go of me. I want to try this alone,”

Lily releases your hand and skates backward a few feet, giving you some room. Taking a deep breath, you let go of the wall and skate forward, concentrating on the balance. You continue moving forward, nervously wobbling on the ice. Hey, this isn’t that bad. Lily keeps encouraging you as she moves backward, giving you the confidence you need. Pushing yourself forward, you stretch your leg out too much, almost on your tiptoes and fall backwards, your body landing on your left arm with a loud crunch. A sudden jolt of pain flames through your arm as you’re overtaken by nausea and lightheadedness. You yelp as you try to move your injured arm and Lily rushes toward you.

“Holy shit are you okay?”

“I think my arm is broken,” you say as you try to move it, flinching from the pain and trying to keep yourself from throwing up.

“Come on, let's get you off the ice,” Lily helps you up with your good arm and leads you to an empty bench.

Jack Daniels, who probably saw the whole thing, comes to your aid. You explained to them what happened and Jack asks to see your arm.

“Any pain?” he gently stretches your arm out, applying light pressure on your wound.

You yelp and nod your hand.

“Yep. Your forearm is definitely broken. We should call Dr. Alphys,” Jack confirms while Lily takes off your skates.

“I’ll call her. Man, Sans is going to kill us,” Daniel mumbles as he dials her number.

“I’m sorry I didn’t catch you on time,” Lily smiles nervously, “Guess this is the worst birthday, huh?”

“What? Come on,not even. My worst birthday was when Mother gave me that moldy cupcake and I got food poisoning,” you lightly joke.

“Oh yeah, I remember. You wouldn’t stop throwing up for days,” your sister giggles.

“Besides, a broken arm is nothing. I’m just glad I get to spend the day with the people I love,” your smile shines with happiness.

“You really haven’t changed.”

“Alphys said that we should take you to her lab and she’ll meet us there,” Daniel says.

You nod and the four of you hop into Daniel’s car and drives to the lab. Two hours later, Alphys finishes up the scans and fixes a white cast on you. She gives you strict instructions not to do any strenuous activity and to cover your cast in a plastic bag while you shower.

“Thank you, Alphys. I know you were busy helping set up for the party and all,” you rub your hand up and down your injured arm, the feeling foreign to you.

“I-It’s okay! W-We were almost done anyway,” Alphys cleans her medical supplies.

“How long do I have to wear this?” you pout, an itch already forming.

“S-Six to eight weeks. It usually takes longer to heal in adults,” Alphys explains, “Anyway, we should start heading back. Everyone is waiting for us to come home.”

The five of you head back to your house and when you get there, Sans and Papyrus are already waiting outside for you.

“ARE YOU OKAY, FUTURE SISTER?” Papyrus comes rushing toward you, eyeing your cast in confusion.

Sans soon follows, “alphys said that it’s not serious,”

You just shrug, “Yeah it wasn’t. I just broke a bone, that’s all.”

“b-broke a….”

“BONE?!”

“Yeah, do you want to see?” you pull out a picture of your x-ray and show it to them.

Sans’s eyes go black and his body freezes while his brother lets out an ear wrecking screech then reduces himself to a sobbing mess. Toriel and Frisk rush outside to see the commotion. Meanwhile, you and your friends just stand there, unsure of what to do. A part of you is amused by their reactions but another part is sorry for scaring the precious skeletons.

“i-i thought alphys said that it wasn’t serious,” Sans finally had the courage to speak, despite his trembling bones.

“It’s really not-”

“NOT SERIOUS?!! YOU BROKE A _BONE_. OH GOD A BONE! A PART OF YOUR BODY IS B R O K E N!” Papyrus wails then hurls onto the grass.

Snapping out of it, you and Alphys help the tall skeleton up and lead him back into the house, whispering to him that this was all a dream. You don’t even make it to his room, the skeleton just chooses to pass out on the couch. Meanwhile, Sans is still paralyzed outside, not flinching when Daniel waves his hands over the skeleton’s face. Eventually he gives up on trying to get the skeleton’s attention and the rest of the humans head inside the house. Not wanting your fiancé to be left out in the cold, you try tugging on his arm.

“Sans come on, let’s go inside,” you pull on him harder, but Sans doesn’t budge.

Huffing in frustration, you wrap your magic around him and drag him on the couch with his passed out brother and leave him there to mingle with your other friends. The monsters had really set the place up well. With some light music in the background, the dinner table is covered in various junk foods and sodas, stacked with Toriel’s blueberry pies and a cake with your face on it that no one touches until you blow out the candles. As you wander into the kitchen, both Frisk and Undyne excitedly checked out your arm, asking you if they could sign it. Toriel approaches you and asked the other two if she could speak to you in private.

“Congratulations on the engagement, my child. I always thought you and Sans made a handsome couple. Though I hope this time he treats you better,”

You smile softly, “Sans and I worked things out. It took some time and a life threatening experience, but I never really stopped loving him.”

“I see. Well, I wish you two many happy days,” Toriel smiles sincerely, but then turns serious, “My dear, I’ve come to you with a job offer.”

“A job offer?”

“Yes. I know you’re working with Daniel at the bookstore, but I want you to be Co-Director of Human and Monster Activities,” Toriel says firmly.

“Wha...me?”  you point at yourself in disbelief, “Wait, what is that?”

“HMA is a new branch that will open up at the embassy next month. As co-director, you will oversee cases that will involve both human and monsters such as crimes and dealing with hate groups. From the rise of the Righteous, we realize that we need a separate branch to help us handle this. Asgore will still watch over the monsters, Frisk will still promote peace between both species, and your job will simply be to enforce it,” the ex-queen explains.

“Why me? I’m hardly qualified for such a position. I don’t even have a high school education,”

“But you’ve proven yourself to be a trustworthy ally to monsterkind numerous times. I can trust your compassion and to keep monster and human interest in mind. You are merciful, yet you believe in fair justice,”

“I don’t know, Toriel. This is big and I’m grateful that you thought of me, but I don’t know if I’m ready for such a thing. I’m taking classes in the fall and then there’s the wedding. I don’t think I have room in my life for such a huge step,” you sigh and run your fingers through your hair.

The goat monster places her paw on your shoulder and looks at you kindly, “I understand my child. Take some time to think about it. Undyne is the other co-director. It’s only fitting for the HMA to have a human and monster leader. If you have any questions, you can ask her or me,”

“Thank you. I’ll think about it.”

Toriel nods and leaves you to mingle with the other guests. Sans teleports beside you. causing you to let out a startled gasp.

“you okay, sugar? you looked like you were going to jump out of your skin,” the skeleton winks.

“Ugh. I can’t believe I’m in love with you,” you groan, but smile anyway.

“so, sorry for freaking out earlier. it’s hard for a skeleton to see that,” Sans apologizes.

“It’s okay. How’s Papyrus?” you ask.

“already forgotten all about it. if he ask, just say that’s a fashion statement or something,” Sans points to your cast then grabs your waist, pulling you close to him, his tone dripping with seduction, “but if it still hurts, i know a way to make it better.”

“Oh really?” you wrap your arms around his neck, “Show me.”

Sans tilts your head to meet his teeth, kissing you passionately. He slips a little tongue inside, the cool wetness playing in your mouth.

“Ew gross! Get a room!” Frisk exclaims, covering their eyes.

You and Sans laugh, placing a kiss on both sides of their cheeks.

“It’s time to open your present,” Frisk announces and leads you in the living room.

You and Sans both take a seat on the couch, the rest of your friends surrounding you with Lily mysteriously missing.

“Okay, well. Instead of all of us individually giving you gifts, we all chipped in and got you one big gift instead,” Frisk bounces up and down, “Lily?”

Your sister enters the room, holding a large blue box and gently places it on your lap, a wide grin spreading across her face. The box shifts on it own as you could hear movements coming from inside. Your eyes widen when you realize what it is as you tear through the box and open up the lid, revealing an adorable black and brown German Shepherd puppy with big brown eyes, a happy smile, and floppy ears.

“Oh my god, you guys!” you squeal, gently picking it up and holding it close to your chest, “It’s so cute! Look at its face!”

“She’s a girl,” Toriel smiles, “She’s a rescue from the shelter. Apparently someone came in and dropped off an entire litter,”

“Oh I love her already!” you kiss the puppy’s head, her fur rubbing against your cheeks as she tries to kiss you back.

“AND YOU GET TO NAME HER! I SUGGESTED THE GREAT PAPYRUS THE SECOND, BUT SANS SAYS THAT IT’LL BE TOO CONFUSING WITH TWO PAPYRUSES IN THE HOUSE,” the tall skeleton swoons over the puppy’s big eyes.

“I get to name her? Then I dub thee...Princess of the Barkness. But Princess for short,” Princess licks your face and wags her tail as if she approves of this name, “I can’t wait for you to meet Charlie!”

“we’re not done yet,” Sans smiles and gives the dog to Frisk to hold, “I have something for you.”

Your fiancé fishes out a small black velvet box from his pocket and opens it, revealing a beautiful sterling silver ring with three cyan blue crystals cut diamonds set side by side, the middle one slightly bigger than the ones beside it. It shines like the sparkles on the sea as the sun rises above it. You’ve never seen anything more beautiful.

“Sans...is this my engagement ring?” you are entranced by its beauty, unable to tear your eyes away.

“yeah. i couldn’t get you diamonds so i used the crystals from waterfall. i know how much you liked that place,” Sans blushes, “it’s yours if you still want to marry me.”

“Of course I still want to marry you, bonehead!” you tackle him on the couch, kissing him everywhere on his face, forgetting that your friends are in the room.

Sans slips the ring onto your ring finger, the size fitting perfectly, and he pulls you into a deep kiss. Your friends  cheer and asks to get a closer look which you happily show off cause holy shit, this is your engagement ring. You look over to Sans, your soul leaping with love and a feeling stirs inside your heart. Heh. It’s truly magic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S̴̪̬̒ư̸̟͝ḉ̸̚ḧ̴͉́ ̷͍̜̂å̶͕̚ ̵͍̒̈w̸̜̓̽a̷̤͋s̵͈͊͜ṯ̵͕̚̚e̷̮̽.̷̝͚͐̒ ̵͈̦̓̿  
̶̳͐͛N̸͖̈́o̶̥̟̊́ ̷̡̧̒m̸̩͈̒ḁ̸̬̑ţ̸̬̈́̑t̵̥͌̐ė̴̻͋r̴͍̝̀.̷̹̹͐̄ ̵̛͈͚̑I̸̦͊̽ ̴̣͒c̴̘̑ȁ̵͍̎ṉ̸͆ ̵̧̽̈́w̸̧̠͠ḁ̶͌i̴̱͕̓t̷̨͍̿ ̶͓̽͝ą̴̖̾ ̷̱̐̌l̸̗̤̽i̸̼͆t̸̺͋͌t̶̖͕̃l̵̘̪͛é̵̫̳̈́ ̶̯͛̉l̶̯̝͌̓ó̴̙n̸͈̯̽g̵̭͈͛̌e̵͖̩͐͒r̶̯͛.̸͖̕͠ ̸͙̐̄  
̶͉̆I̷̢͖͝͝’̷̣̇ľ̶̙͠l̶̰̩̽ ̸̼̺̈̊g̴̡̪̀̆i̷̮̮̓v̷̢̉͛e̴̺͂ ̸͕̋t̴̳̥͠ḫ̸̒̚e̸͓̳͌̒m̵̗̹̆̀ ̷̫͒t̴̹͕͘h̵͉̚i̴͍̞͗͐s̸̢̭̀ ̷̯̤́ṽ̷̻̒ǐ̷̙c̸̢͉͘͝t̵̙͇̓̓ȏ̸̡͓͠r̴͕̈́͘ŷ̶͕̜̚.̴̥̳̐ ̵̭̒̇  
̶̛̼̏B̵̳̥͛͘ũ̴̢̙ṭ̵͋̃ ̷͙͍͆ţ̷̻̔h̷̹̀̀î̶͖s̸̠͛ ̸̼͇̓̾i̵͈̥̓̈́ṣ̶̡͆͊ ̷̥̪̈́n̵̨̖͠o̴̖͑͝t̶̲̊ ̶̫̚͝t̵̢̬̃͂ḩ̶̂̈́e̸͓̅͑ ̴̰͇̚ë̷̙́̚n̵̳̚ͅd̷͓̖̿̆.̸̦̈́́ ̷̛̪

 

 

 

 

 

ᴬ ʷᵃʳⁿᶦⁿᵍ. ᴬ ˢᵒⁿᵍ.

ᴱᶜʰᵒᶦⁿᵍ ᵇᵉʰᶦⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ᵈʳᶦᵖˢ.

ᴸᵒˢᵗ ᶦⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵈᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᶜᵉ.


	41. Integrity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sneak peak of Arc 3: Integrity!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment down below on your theories, speculation, and ideas! I'd love to see what you guys think!

“No...please! I’m begging you! Stop this!” the water elemental backed into a corner, his arms outstretched to maintain his distance from the attacker, his gelatin like blue eyes wide with trembling fear, “This isn’t funny anymore!”

That attacker ignored the monster’s pleas, cocking their gun and aiming point blank at the elemental's face. Showing no emotion, even through the mask, the attacker pulled the trigger and with a silent boom, the monster’s head splattered all over the walls, staining a picture frame of a smiling version of him, his arms wrapped around a cheery human girl. The body slumped to the ground, immediately turning into nothing but a pile of dust. A minute later, a lock clicked and the front door swung open, a tall brunette human entering the apartment. As she unwrapped her scarf and threw her keys on the key tray, the attacker swiftly conceal themselves inside the closet, silently cocking their gun.

“Aris! I’m home!” no answer, “Aris?”

The human turned on the light switch.

“I swear to god, if you fell asleep in the bath again-” the human stopped in the kitchen, finally noticing the dust and blood. The human screamed, her body crumpling to the ground in agony, “Aris! No! No!”

Before the human could realize the fact that she was in danger, the attacker stepped out of the closet and shot the gun straight at her head. The human’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and collapsed on the kitchen tile, blood oozing from the hole, engulfing her body in the redness like she was drowning in a thick sea.

The attacker unloaded their gun, returning the single mag back into the hem of their jeans and shielding the gun in the pocket inside their jacket. Taking one last look at their masterpiece, they sighed sadly as the LOVE went up.


	42. A New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Undyne investigate some murders

**3 months later…**

Your assistant knocks on your glass door and you gesture her inside without looking up from your computer screen. She struts inside and places a thin folder on your desk. 

“These are the witness statements. There’s isn’t a lot,” your assistant says. 

“Thank you, Alice,” you open up the folder and sigh as you only have two statements, “These will do.”

“Do you need anything else, boss?” your assistant asks, her wolf ears twitching from the noise outside. 

Alice Lupus, a twenty six year old wolf monster with stunningly white fur and sharp grey eyes, like the glint of a dime. She applied for the position of yours and Undyne’s assistant a week after you became Co-Director of Human and Monster Activities. With a master’s degree in business and a strong recommendation from Toriel, she seems like she would fit the position perfectly. Apparently, in the Underground, she was a realtor and lived in Snowdin with her brother. Despite all that, you can’t help but feel a little uneasy around her. 

“No, but I think Undyne needs the coroner’s report. Did you give that to her yet?” Alice nodded her head, “Good. Thank you. You can go home early if Undyne doesn’t need anything else.” 

“Thank you, Boss,” Alice formally excuses herself and you read the statement she gave you. 

A few weeks ago, you and Undyne got called in to investigate a double homicide that took place in a quiet apartment building in the south part of Ebott City. Normally, the police would be handling this, but since one of the deaths was a monster, a water elemental named Aris to be specific, it falls under your department. Aris lived with his human girlfriend, Leah, who was found shot in the back of the head in front of him. The two died on October 7th, around eight or nine pm. Due to the position of Leah’s wound and the fact that the murder weapon was never found, murder-suicide or double suicide was quickly ruled out. Now it’s your job to figure out if this was the work of one person or an arising hate group. After your mother’s death, the Righteous completely disbanded, despite scattering to find a new power figure. Many of the the important members died from the explosion on the military base anyway so they didn’t have much to work with. After the incident, it wouldn’t be surprise if the remaining members joined new groups or formed new ones to push the monsters back underground. 

Reading the two statements, you find neither of them helpful. One of them was from a tenant who was in the lobby gathering his mail. He said he heard someone walk past him, assumed it was just someone who lived there and didn’t bother turning around to see who it was. The other statement was from a blind elderly monster, who placed the calls with she heard the screams. According to the owner, he was too cheap to buy real cameras, and all the ones they had were just for show. 

You sigh in frustration and lean back in your chair. Sometimes, you miss the simpler times when you worked at the bookstore with Daniel, but you don’t regret taking Toriel’s offer. A long time ago, you told Daniel that you wanted to help the monsters in any way you could, and this was the way. With your position, you have the power to see the danger before hand and stop it. This is the way you can protect your family. You took a while to come to decision, but with encouragement from your family, especially Sans and Lily, you decided to do it. 

Needing some fresh air, you tell Undyne, whose office is adjacent to yours, that you’re going for a walk. You use the stairs to get to the first floor of the embassy, not minding the two flights of stairs. The building stood directly across from the park, which you conveniently use for a breath of fresh air and a break from your stuffy office. You sat down on a wooden bench, right in front of a water fountain, some droplets splattering on your neck. The cool October air swirled around you, the orange and yellow leaves dancing in the wind. On the sidewalk, you notice two monsters high schoolers and a human highschooler walking toward each other, but the human kept his eyes downward, his shoulders hunched, almost like he was trying to keep himself hidden. Meanwhile, the two monsters, a green flame elemental and a blue harpy in a pink dress pass by him, snickering. You’ve seen the fire elemental around Grillby’s bar several times. If you could recall, she’s Grillby’s daughter, Fuku. That reminds you, you should probably pick up Grillby’s for dinner. Papyrus is helping Toriel with her parent teacher night and won’t be home to cook dinner. As the monsters and human pass each other, you could hear the monsters’ snide and rude comments toward the human boy, who tries his best to ignore them. Anger boils in you as you clench your fist and hold yourself back. You cannot intervene unless the situation escalated because of their minor age. Suddenly, the fire elemental stopped in her tracks and pushes the human over, the boy falling to the ground, his tears darkening the pavement. The two monsters just point and laugh. Yep. This seems like escalation to you. You rush over to the human’s side and help him up, asking if he was okay. He slowly nods to hide his hurt pride. 

You turn and glare at the monsters, “Why did you do that? You should apologize,” 

“No way! Human scum like you should just stay out of our way,” the blue harpy monster scoffs. 

“That isn’t very nice, kid. Just apologize to him and we can be on our way,” you scowl. 

“It’s okay, Miss. I’m okay,” the human tugs on your sleeve, but you cannot allow this to slide. It’s in your job description. 

“You heard him. He’s fine. And we don’t have to listen to you. Come on Harp, let’s get out of here,” Fuku throws a disgusted glare and turns away. 

“Take one more step and I’m going to have to report you,” you bluff. Technically you can, but you rather not deal with the paperwork. You only hope she doesn’t see through it. 

“Excuse me?” Fuku crossed her arms. 

“I can report you and have you temporarily classified as aggressors towards humans. It falls under the Human and Monster Protection Act,” you smirk. 

“Y-You can’t do that! Humans are the aggressors! All you ever do is hurt us! We just want to live peacefully but you laugh at us! Call us names!” the fire elemental’s colors flared brighter. 

Your eyes soften, remembering that Grillby was taken by the Righteous too, “Look, I know what happened to your dad must’ve been painful. But you’re doing the exact same thing to humans. You shouldn’t fight fire with fire. Uh, pun unintended,” 

“H-How did you know about that?” Fuku growls. 

“I was there,” you simply state, “If you want to live peacefully, then you must learn to coexist with humans. That’s a fact. Besides, not all humans are bad. Your ambassador is a human, after all. If you don’t want to get hurt, you shouldn’t hurt others,”

“Whatever. We’re sorry okay? Can we go now?” Fuku spat. 

The human lights up in response, despite the harsh and rude tone. Oh well, you’ll take what you can get. They’re teenagers after all and you understand their challenge for authority. Pushing them further will only make it worse. You nod your head and the two monsters leave. 

“Thank you, Miss,” the boy smiles gratefully. 

“You’re welcome. Now go home kid,”

The human boy nods and skips away. You return to your office with newfound motivation, greeting the receptionist on the way in. 

“_____, there you are!” Undyne enters your office, “Larson just called. He has a suspect.” 

“Okay. Let’s head down to the station,” you grab your keys and hop into your new car, a shiny black Lexus, with Undyne. 

Once at the police station, Sheriff Larson meets you outside, greeting you with a smile. 

“Hey there Larson! How’s Betty doing?” Undyne wraps her arms around his shoulders with a huge grin. 

“She’s doing great! We just got our adoption papers approved. I just hope our kid doesn’t mind the fact that their mother is a monster,” Sheriff Larson says. 

“Don’t worry, who  _ wouldn’t _ want a Momster?” you laugh at your own pun. 

Sheriff Atta Larson is a tough burly man with glistening dark skin and a deep scar running to the side of his face. Legend says he could kill with a single glare, like a boar ready to charge. But underneath all that tough exterior, is a man with a kind heart. 

“So are you ready to meet him?” Larson leads you and Undyne to the interrogation room, a one way mirror planted next to the door, “Benny Davis. 32 years old. Single. No family. Former drug addict until he went through court mandated rehab a few years ago,” 

You take a peek inside the window and see a scrawny human sitting on a metal chair with his hands neatly folded on his  lap. He trembles on his seat with the occasional body twitch and a constant foot tapping. 

“How is the wimp a suspect? I can break him like a twig,” Undyne asks. 

“He was seen leaving the apartment building after the time of the crime. Apparently, he goes inside and then comes out, even though he is not a resident. No one claims to know him. Plus, he has no alibi at the time f the murder,” 

“Okay. We’ll go talk to him,” you turn the doorknob and walk inside with Undyne following behind you. 

You grab a seat across from him, the cold chair pressing against your skin. The Sheriff remains outside, but you know he is watching through the glass. 

“Benny Davis. So you are responsible for killing Aris and his girlfriend huh? I knew Aris back in the Underground. Cool dude. Didn’t deserve to die,” Undyne snarls. 

“I didn’t do it! I already told the police this!” the human whimpers. 

“Calm down, you’re innocent until proven guilty,” you say calmly, enabling your good cop/ bad cop routine, “We are not the police, we are part of the HMA, though we do work closely with them. And I have to admit, they have some pretty strong evidence against you,”

“Whatever you have, it’s junk. Worthless. Because I didn’t do it,” Benny looks frantically at the door. 

“Really? You were seen leaving the buildings late at night on multiple occasions, you are not a resident, and no one knows who you are,” Undyne sneers. 

The human twiddles their thumb in silence. 

“If you didn’t kill the couple, then what were you doing there?”  you ask. 

No response. 

“I want to help you, Benny. But I can’t do it unless you talk to me,” you reach out to him. 

“I didn’t do it,” the suspect mumbles repeatedly. 

Undyne loses her patiences and slams her fist on the table, nearly breaking it, “Look human. You are a suspect for a  _ double homicide _ and one of a monster on top of that. If you were doing something illegal, I promise you, being charged for murder is a lot worse. Now talk or you’re going to prison!” 

The suspect yelps and flinch away, his head hanging low. He thinks for a moment, then finally speaks. 

“I was...stalking someone,” he squeaks. 

“Go on,” you encourage. 

“His name is Alec. I saw him at the supermarket a few months ago. Twice a week, I break into his apartment and watch him sleep,”

“Why should we believe that?” Undyne raises a brow. 

“It’s true! I can give you all the details you want! He lives on the third floor in room 315, keeps a spare key inside a plotted plant and owns three fishes!” the suspect exclaims. 

“Thank you for your time,” you sigh and leave the room with Undyne. 

“Well,” Larson meets you outside, “What do you think?” 

“I believe him,” Undyne closes the door behind her, “The punk is a shady creep, but he’s not our guy.” 

You nod in agreement, “You might have to investigate his claims a little further, but if it's true, he’s not within our jurisdiction,” 

“Thank you for coming out, you two,” the sheriff escorts you both to the parking lot. 

“Say hello to Betty for me!” you wave as you climb into your car. 

The ride on the way back to the embassy is filled with light hearted conversations

about Papyrus’s improvement on cooking, Alphys’s anime binge, and your wedding. 

“I’m telling you! You should play the Mew Mew Kissy Cutie opening as your first dance!”  the monster exclaims. 

“Undyne no,” you laugh, “But I’ll ask Napstablook to add it to the playlist for you,” 

You pull up to the entrance, dropping off your coworker, telling her that you’re going home. She waves you a good night and you make a quick stop at Grillbys, picking up the burgers. The strong greasy scent makes your stomach rumble. When you get home, you find your fiancé on the couch with Princess on his lap, gnawing on his femur. 

“Hello, my love,” you set the food down and scruff your puppy’s head and kiss her neck. Princess licks you in response. 

“don’t i get a kiss?” Sans grins. 

You giggle and plant a small kiss on his cheeks. 

“is that it? come here,” Sans pushes Princess off of him and pulls you into his lap. 

You happily straddle him and kiss his teeth, playing with his ecto tongue, running your hands over his ribs. His skeletal hands gropes your chest, running his fingers over your hardening nipples. A pleasure shiver runs through you, but you pull away, breathing heavily. 

“Not today, Sans. I’m tired.”

“come on, let’s just have a little fun tonight,” Sans growls deeply, burying his face in your neck.

“Red,” you use your safe word and Sans pulls away from you, keeping his hands to himself. 

You kiss him once more to let him know that he’s okay, then you slide off of him, “Come on, I brought Grillbys for dinner,” 

Sans lifts himself off the couch and grab a burger in the bag. He unwraps the food and takes a big bite, moaning in pleasure. You snicker at the scene and your fiancé smirks. 

“like you should be laughing right now. the first time i took you to grillbys, you had an orgasm,” 

“I think the proper term is foodgasm, bone boy,” you stick out your tongue, “Besides, I was only laughing because of how cute you are,”

“lettuce be honest here, you’re the cute one,” Sans winks. 

You roll your eyes and blush. 

After your meal, you take Princess outside while Sans cleans up. You create a harmless ball of golden energy and toss it into the grass, hovering it a few feet above the ground. Princess immediately tries to seize it, but every time she gets close, you pull the ball away. In the moonlight, your engagement ring sparkles, bring you a soothing warmth spreading across your soul. You allow the sparks to run over your body, only stopping when you feel Sans’s arms wrap around your waist. 

“i love you,” your fiancé kisses your neck. 

“I love you too,” you lean into his embrace, watching the stars fall in the vastness of galaxy, your hearts, beating as one. 


	43. Prank Wars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> small shenanigans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been gone so long! I've just been super busy with other stuff I didn't have time to work on this fic. Things are going to continue being busy and honestly, I've considered abandoning this fic, but I can't bring myself to. Updates will continue to be slow for a while. Anyway, on happier note, I've already started on the next chapter so hopefully I can get that out soon. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!

“SANS!” Papyrus screeches from the top of the stairs while you read over the case files on the dining table, Sans sitting across from you, playing mobile games as he sips a bottle of ketchup.

“yeah bro?” Sans doesn’t bother looking up from his screen.

“YOUR ROOM IS ABSOLUTELY FILTHY! IT LOOKS LIKE THE DUMP! BUT WITH MORE SOCK! SOCK, SANS! HOW CAN YOU BE SO DISGUSTING!” Papyrus stomps downstairs, absolutely fuming.

“maybe to you, but it looks organized to me,” the older skeleton shrugs.

“HOW CAN IT BE ORGANIZED?! EVERYTHING IS ON THE FLOOR!”

“if everything is on the floor, then  know where everything is,”

Papyrus shrieks in frustration, then turns to you, his eyes nearly bulging out of his skull, “SISTER, ARE YOU GOING TO LET HIM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU LIKE THIS?!”

You tilt your head in confusion, “What are you talking about, Papy?”

“HAVEN’T YOU NOTICED?! SANS HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN YOUR ROOM SO HE DOESN’T HAVE TO CLEAN HIS! AND SINCE YOU’RE NOT A LAZYBONES LIKE HE IS, YOU ACTUALLY CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF WHICH INCLUDES HIS MESS!”

Realization strikes you and you gasp, “Sans!”

Your fiancé just chuckles, “heh. what can i say? cleaning is a skele-ton of work.”

Papyrus groans, but you can’t help but be a little amused. To make the younger skeleton happy, you ask him to clean up his room. Sans groans and teleports away, hopefully to his room. Papyrus thanks you and you return to your paperwork to catch this killer. You cross  check every known gang in Ebott City with their most recent activities, but nothing seems to match up. Your assistant, Alice, interviewed all the couple’s friends, families, associates, anyone who knew them, but nothing stood out. Apparently, Aris and Leah were upstanding citizens who enjoyed the outdoors. They had no known enemies and were well liked, plus nobody had any qualms about their relationship. Now was the killer targeting Aris or Leah? It’s possible that the killer was going after Aris because he was a monster and Leah got in the way. There is no way to check the monster's body since it’s dust now, but it could be the same weapon used to kill Leah. Still, this is all just speculations with no concrete evidence. The only comfort you have is that Undyne is stumped too. which reassures you that you’re not just bad at your job, though it would taint the reputation and image of the HMA if the first major case couldn’t be solved.

Deciding that you need a break, you get up to get a drink of water, noticing Charlie lounging by the window sill. Huh, you haven’t seen the little guy in a while. He allows you to scratch his head and purrs in approval while rubbing his face on your palm. The doorbell chimes loudly and your cat runs off once more into the unknown. Setting down the water, you walk over to the front door and curiously look through the peephole. Daniel and Lily wait outside, holding a small plastic container and talking to each other. Elated by their surprise visit, you open the door and welcome them inside.

“Hey! What are you guys doing here?” you squeal, pulling them into a tight hug.

“I baked cupcakes for the first time and made too much. I was wondering if you would take them off my hands,” Lily giggles, setting the tray on the table.

“Of course, they look delicious,” you mouth waters at the well decorated pastries, your stomach rumbling at the chocolate flavored one with vanilla icing, “Let me call the boys down.”

You call out to the skeletons and in flash of blue light, Sans teleports next to you while Papyrus comes running down the stairs excitedly.

“WOWIE CUPCAKES!”

“how _sweet_ of you,” the shorter skeleton chooses a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting and white sprinkles, “what’s the occasion?”

“Oh, we just had extra,” Daniel smirks, “Here Papyrus, this one is for a cool skeleton like you,”

Your friend hands the skeleton a chocolate cupcake, decorated with a skull, held together by orange frosting.

“ALTHOUGH I REFRAIN FROM SWEETS, THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL MAKE AN EXCEPTION!” the tall skeleton devours the cupcake, licking away the leftover frosting.

That leaves the last chocolate cupcake for you, but you notice that the chocolate looks different from Papyrus’s with its reddish-brown color. Not thinking too much about it, you take a bite, savoring the sweetness, when suddenly, you’re hit with the boiling flames of hell, setting fire to your throat and your eyes watering in hot tears. Out of reflex, you swallow anyway, and you feel like you just consumed a bucket of magma as it slowly descends into your stomach. Coughing your lungs out, you rush to the kitchen sink, cursing every word you know and place your mouth under the facet, though the cool jet streams does nothing to cool you down.

“what the hell happened?” Sans rushes to your side, gently rubbing your back in comfort, while Papyrus inspects the cupcake you just took a bite of.

You’re too busy gulping down the water to reply.

“I THINK YOU TWO ACCIDENTALLY PUT A PEPPER IN THIS CUPCAKE!” Papyrus concludes, noticing the wrinkled pepper in the pastry.

“Oh, it was no accident. What we put inside was a ghost pepper, the hottest chili in the world,” Daniel laughs from your reaction, “That was meant for Sans, but ___ ate it instead. Sorry, buddy.”

Lily whips out her phone in a guilty grin.

“YOU TWO ARE FUCKING DEAD!” you scream as your body burns up.

Unable to handle the heat any longer, you stomp upstairs to the shower, throwing your clothes off, but leaving your lingerie on, and turn the handle to its coldest setting. Hopping in, you don’t care who sees you, the shivering blast splashes your body, but it doesn’t help with the burning sensation. You’re suspended between the arctic ice and the Sahara desert at the same time. Feeling humiliated and miserable,  you begin to sob your eyes out.

“Please get me some milk,” you beg at your friends who followed you upstairs to watch you embarrassingly spray the shower head into your mouth.

Sans teleports away then returns a minute later with your request, hiding his amusement with a mask of concern, but failing epically. You don’t care about that. Instead, you snatch the milk from him and chug it down with all your might, not minding the fact that you’re spilling some all over your chest and into the tub. You hold the shower head over your head with one hand and the milk carton in the other, but it’s still not enough. You’re still incredibly hot and incredibly miserable. Your body is shivering from the cold water and your stomach feels queasy from the fast and sudden milk consumption.

“You guys are mean!” you blubber through your tears.

“Come on, Sis. Five years from now, you’re gonna be laughing at this,” Lily says.

“ are you serious? look what you did to my fiancée,” Sans wraps a towel over your shivering body once you slip out of the tub.

“Oh come on, Sans. Don’t act like a knight in shining armor. We all heard you laughing downstairs when you got the milk,” Daniel rolls his eyes.

“Don’t think you’re getting away with this,” you cough, “You two are going to pay.”

“Fair enough. Let’s see what you’ve got,” your best friend winks.

* * *

The next week, you lug your duffel bag filled with your supplies out of your room. Last night, you stuffed: 10 rolls of duct tape, 10 bags of large balloons, one hundred baby doll heads, and some extra boxes and strings. Sure all this stuff costed a pretty penny, but it’s all going to be worth it.

“Are you ready yet, bone boy?” you ask him as he swings puts on his jacket.

“yeah. are we driving or teleporting?”

“Teleporting. Just for when we need a quick escape,” you reply, “They should be home around eight. Lily took the day off to help Daniel out while he finds a replacement for me, so they’ll be coming home at the same time,”

“heh, i can’t wait to see their reactions,” the skeleton smirks.

“God I love you,” you peck him on the cheek and wrap your arms around him, preparing for the teleport.

The skeleton lands in the living room, the sudden blue flash is the only light source among the grey.  All the lights are off, but the afternoon sun fills the room. Flicking on the lights, you set the bag down.

“okay, where do we start?” Sans awaits your direction.

“The kitchen. Place all of their bowls and plates in the box. Oh we should take their cups and mugs too,” you reply.

Sans cracks a wide grin, “so we’re basically mugging them,”

You laugh, a tender bubble of happiness rising in you, “Well, they can have everything back...eventually…”

With Sans’s help, you summon magic and clear their entire kitchen of all eatery items and placing it gently in the box, including plastic cups and bowls. Being cheeky, you leave only one plate left for your sister and Daniel to fight over. Wiping the sweat from your forehead, you hand the box over to Sans who teleports it to your garage. Looking at the empty kitchen, you feel a swell of pride from your work. But you’re not done yet.

“so what’s with the dolls?” the skeleton asks once he returns, picking one up.

“Daniel hates these,” you smirk then turn on the fireplace, “I’m going to burn them a little  then you’ll tie the string around its neck then hang them on the ceiling. Just use some of the duct tape to make them stay. Oh and be sure to spread them across the living room.”

“don’t burn yourself sugar,” your fiancé reminds you.

You smile and nod, the two of you working together in comfortable silence, the crackling of the flames singing you to contentment.

“you know, this is the longest time we’ve spent together in a while…” Sans points out.

“What do you mean?” you furrow your brow.

“well, sure we live together, eat together, sleep together, but your mind is somewhere else. you’ve been busy with work and we haven’t been on a proper date in ages,” the skeleton sighs, “we’re not even an old married couple yet and we haven’t had sex in ages!”

Everything clicks into place as you guiltily realize that he’s right. You’ve been so neglectful and focused on work, that you’ve missed all the signs of his loneliness. You don’t want your married life together to be like this. Not for Sans.

“I’m sorry,” you drop the doll head and hold his hands close to your heart, “I wish you told me sooner, but I’m glad you did. I’ll try to not be so neglectful. Let’s do something next weekend. Dinner and a movie?”

Sans leans over and kisses the top of your head, “sounds fun,”

You smile and press your lips against his teeth, his arms wrapping around your waist, and you fall backward, allowing him to rest on top of you.

“wow sweetheart, you really fell for me,” your fiancé winks.

“Oh shut up,” you laugh and kiss him again.

Sans runs his fingers through your hair, sending a pleasant shiver down your spine. He then caresses your body like a delicate flower, slowly grinding on top of you. A passionate heat roars between the two of you as he slips a tongue inside, letting out a soft moan. You both know what this is going to lead to, but you put a stop to it, pulling away.

“Sans we are not having sex on my best friend’s floor,”

“why not? it’ll be the best revenge,” Sans moans as you accidentally brush against his pelvis.

“Because I have class!” you huff, pushing him off you, “Now come on, we have to finish this before they get home,”

Several hours later, you and Sans finish hanging up all the baby doll heads, wrap all the pillows and blankets in duct tape, and covered filled their entire bathroom with balloons. The skeleton lays exhausted on the couch and you fix a sandwich for the both of you. Checking the clock, you notice that you have two hours to spare and so you collapse on the couch with the one you love the most, snuggling in his chest. Sans turns on a Disney movie and absent-mindedly traces circles on your back. You struggle to keep your eyes open and find yourself snoring softly against your fiancé.

“What. The. Fuck.” two alarmed voices jolt you and Sans awake and you remember where you are.

Daniel and Lily stand outside their house, staring at the living room ceiling with their mouths gaped open. You grin widely and stand up, pulling Sans to your side.

“Surprise! Welcome home!” you greet them cheerfully.

“How did you get inside our house,” Lily exclaims.

“My fiancé is a magical teleporting skeleton,” you remind her, “Now come, I’ll give you a tour,”

You lead them into the kitchen first.

“we took the liberty of cleaning out your kitchen for you. you guys had some real unnecessary stuff like plates, bowls, forks, etc,” Sans shows off the kitchen with a proud smile, “don’t worry, you’ll get everything back. eventually.”

“How the hell are we going to eat?!” Daniel yells scouring the cabinets and only finding one plate, “Wow, really? How generous of you.”

You tug at your sister’s sleeve, “Come, there’s more. You’re going to love this,”

You lead them to their bedrooms and the bathroom, fist bumping Sans on the way. Their jaws completely drops when they find their blankets and pillows covered in duct tape and their bathroom blocked by large balloons. It’s going to take them ages to clean this up for sure.

“Holy shit, you guys really went all out!” Lily tries to pull the duct tape off of her pillow, the satisfying tearing ringing in your ears.

“Haha okay, you two got us. You’re gonna help clean up right?” Daniel begs you with hopeful eyes.

“nope. see ya,” Sans sticks out his tongue, grabs your hand, and teleports home.

The two of you land in your dark bedroom and you flop on your bed stretching out your arms, “Man, I’m beat. Ready for bed.”

“heh. not yet, sugar. give me a minute,” Sans disappears into the living room and

comes back with a box of matches and several candles.

He lights each one and place them all around your room while you watch in curiosity.  You ask him what is he doing and he just takes your left hand and intertwines it in his while guiding your right hand to his shoulder, then placing his free hand on your waist. He closes his eyes and sways around your room.

“we live together. i’m not going to wait til next weekend to spend time with my fiancée. besides, we should practice our first dance,” Sans kisses your head.

“There’s no music,” you point out.

“just pretend,” Sans sighs softly, his voice tender and warm, reminding you of a fireplace on a rainy day.

You rest your head on his chest and sway to the music of your heartbeat while Sans completely relaxes, his breathing nice and soothing like a lullaby without words.

“two more months. just two more months,” the skeleton chants under his breath.

“Patience, Sans,” you purr.

“i am patient. i have been patient,” Sans tilts your chin to meet his eyes, “i just can’t stand not being married to you,”

You tiptoe to meet his teeth, your voice on his lips, “We’re already completely in love with each other, a piece of paper isn’t going to change that.”

Your fiancé chuckles, his eye lights glowing brighter under the candlelight, “i know. but wow. you’re gonna my wife.”

You murmur a soft ‘I love you’ and break  the small dance to cup his face your hands to kiss him deeply, the two of you falling on your bed, locked in each other’s loving embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I'm extremely sorry, but due to unforeseen events, I'm going to have to cancel all requests. I'm sorry.


	44. Author's Note

Hello everyone! I'm going to keep this short and straight to the point. 

 

What We Have Built is going on hiatus. 

 

Yes, I know, it's sad to hear and I'm really sorry, but I have my reasons. I have many, but the main reason is that I'm slowly losing interest in writing this story. Don't get me wrong, this arc is going to be a pretty good one and I'm really excited to write the wedding chapter and a bunch of other stuff to come, but I can't do it if I'm forcing myself to write it when I don't want to. I  **will** come back to this and finish it though, I'm way too attached to these characters to leave it here, but I just need a break. 

 

However, that doesn't mean  _I'm_ going on a hiatus. I am still writing, I'm just going to give my attention to other fanfictions that I'm doing - still Undertale related. You can check those out on my page. 

 

Thanks for sticking by me and What We Have Built. It will return. 

 

If you have any questions or want to contact me, I've moved my tumblr blog to [ Skelltales ](http://www.skelltales.tumblr.com) where I mainly do Undertale headcanons now. 


	45. Some Assistants Are Meant For Threesomes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans runs into a familiar face and it's not pretty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO'S BACK BABY
> 
> No promises that I'm going to update often, it's pretty sporadic since I'm running my headcanon blog and juggling two other fics, but I'm happy to be writing this story again! 
> 
> [Got questions? Want to interact with me? Got some burning imagines? Visit me at Skelltales! ](http://www.skelltales.tumblr.com)

Sans hums and stretch his arms expecting to wrap himself over your naked body, but instead, finding an empty space and a mass of blankets. He sighs. Oh right, you had work today, but at least you both had fun last night. The skeleton chuckles at the memory. Yep, real fun. Checking the time, he realizes that it’s almost noon and decides to drag himself out of bed and get something done today.

Tossing on his pants and freshening himself up, Sans teleports to Grillbys, stumbling onto a nearly deserted establishment. His heart tightens. A year ago, this bar was bustling with joyous monsters and laughters during lunch time; patrons shuffling in and out, milling about their day, but now? It’s only Greater Dog gnawing a big bone in the corner booth, wagging their tail in greeting when they see him.

Sans takes his usual seat on the stool calling Grillby over. The flame elemental already has the skeleton’s order prepared, sliding him burger and fries. With his shoulders hunched, the flames on the tip of his head dimmer than usual, Grillby’s cooking lacks its luster.

Sans puts the burger down, “Everything okay Grillby?”

The bartender gestures to the emptiness.

The skeleton understands. Even with the Righteous dismantling, it still isn’t a safe time for monsters to be mingling around. The missing monsters the Righteous took never returned. Asgore issued a statement, explaining that they were killed, but everyone who escaped that night all agreed to never reveal what really became of the monsters. But with everything going on, it really is better for monsters to stay inside, and there were even some talk of moving back underground.

Sans sighs, but there’s nothing he can do about this. Well, there is one thing. He orders another burger for you to-go, and teleports to the embassy, tossing his cash on the counter. Once there, the receptionist calls him over.

“Sans! Long time no see!” a lamia type monster with startling yellow scales coils around his chair, while his fingers paused on typing.

“sup, man,” Sans greets, mentally scratching his head for the monster’s name, “is _____ here?”

“Let me check…” the receptionist’s tongue flickers as he types away on his screen, “Yes, looks like she’s in, do you have an appointment with her? I’ll notify her that you checked in.”

Sans laughs, shaking his head at the misunderstanding, “i didn’t realize i had to schedule an appointment to see my fiancee,”

The lamia turns bright red, coughs, then gestures him to the elevators. Sans gives him a wink and makes his way when he spots a mess of fur stumbling towards him with piles of boxes covering their face. He politely holds the door for them and waits until they’re inside the car with him.

“Thank you so much,” a familiar female voice huffs, dropping the boxes, “The boss is such a bitch sometimes.”

“heh, don’t worry about it, that looks like a skele-ton of work you got there,” Sans winks, unable to see her face behind the boxes.

The other monster sucks in a breath and suddenly drops the boxes, revealing herself, “Sans?!”

“oh heya alice,” Sans shifts uncomfortably but hides the awkwardness in his face, “you work here?”

The wolf monster scoffs and shakes her head, “You never called,”

“i never said i would,”

“Stars. You’re such an asshole,” before she could say anything else, the elevator door dings open. Alice lifts up her boxes and exits, glaring at Sans when he does the same, “What you don’t call and now you’re following me?”

“no, i came here to see- “

“Sans!!” you squeal across the hall when you see him as you exit the break room, running over to give him a tight squeeze, then planting a small kiss on his mouth, completely ignoring the other monster, “What are you doing here?”

“i brought you food.” the skeleton holds up the white bag, “thought we could have lunch together,”

Alice shifts uncomfortably, setting down the boxes by the elevator and crossing her arms, “Do you two know each other?”

“We’re getting married,” you say dreamily, completely unaware of the tension between Alice and Sans.

The wolf monster’s glare intensifies, but Sans ignores it to focus on your cheery smile.

“Have you two met?” you ask innocently.

Alice raises her brow at Sans expectantly.

“we use to go out in the underground,” the skeleton shrugs.

Your smile wavers tensing up as soon as you sensed the awkwardness.

“Well, uh, thanks for the food sweetheart,” you plants another kiss on his cheeks, “But I have a lot of work to do, so I’ll see you at home?”

Sans’s heart sinks in disappointment, but he nods anyway, parting you farewell, as he teleports away.

* * *

 

You take a bite on your burger as you type up your report when your assistant enters your office, sighing dramatically. You fight the urge to roll your eyes, not up to dealing with your fiancé’s ex right now.

“Can I talk to you about something personal boss?”

Sighing, you shake your head, “I really don’t have time for this, whatever went on with you and Sans, I don’t care-”

“I just think that you should know Sans and I slept together in February,” the monster blurts.

You blink, a shiver crawling down your spin, “What?”

“We were Grillbys and he seemed upset about something-”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” you rudely interrupt, gritting your teeth, “I don’t care, I really don’t. And please, I’m your boss, not your friend. Stay out of my personal life and I’ll stay out of yours.”

 

Her steel eyes flashes angrily before she nods and leaves swiftly. You run your fingers through your hair and fiddle with the beautiful ring on your finger, the cyan gem glimmering in the light, but bearing more weight than you remember.

 

After dropping off your lunch, he rests on the couch, flipping through the tv mindlessly, unaware of the hours flying by. From the coffee table his phone buzzes loudly, and he reaches for it with a groan. Once he picks it up, Alphy’s frantic voice squeals on the other hand, asking him to come to her lab immediately. With nothing better to do and concern for his friend, he teleports into the building.

Alphys jumps at his sudden entrance, her white lab coat disheveled and soup stained, her glasses slightly bent. The skeleton tilts his head at her appearance in concern.

“Sans! Oh stays, thank you for coming so quickly, come take a look at this,” Alphys nervously leads him into the main lab room, the large tv monitors beeping with incomprehensible readings, the blaring light fixtures nearly blinding him, and the AC on full blast, chilling him to the bone.

“what’s so urgent al? you look pretty bone tired,”

Alphys ignores his pun, “I-I’ve been researching the three realities ever since ____ told me about them, but there’s something she got wrong. We originally thought that the third reality, the Void, is vast and empty, but it’s not. Sans, the Void is a living being, like a corridor of sorts, hosting doorways to infinite other realities!”

“wait… so you’re saying…”

“I-I think we just confirmed the existence of alternative universes,” the scientist’s eyes flashes with eagerness, but falls a moment later, “ But that’s not what I wanted to show you,”

Alphys types away on her keyboard, pulling up a screen with three tri colored wavelenghs, two of them more or less flat, while the red wavelength bursts with highs and lows.

“This red one is the Void’s activity, it’s spiking much moere than the other two realities. I’m not sure if this is normal since I have nothing to compare it to, but there’s something not right. I think…. I think it’s because of Gaster,”

“what makes you think so?” the very mention of his father stirs something dark inside him. Whatever it is, he represses it.

“I know ____ doesn't want to think about this, but where else would Agnes get the exact same plans for the Magic Extraction Machine? The o-only question is how he was able to communicate with her and why Gaster wanted to kill monsters in the first place.”

Silence befalls upon the two monsters. Sans already made up his mind that you need to know this, but with everything you have on your plate right now, he doesn’t want to add more with something that might be a hypothesis.

“don’t tell _____”

The scientist blinks in surprise, “W-Why not? She needs to know this, maybe she could give us more information-”

“i know, just not right now okay?” Sans sighs and digs his hands into his pocket, “she’s already working herself to the bone,”

Alphys clenches her claws, then nods slowly, “F-Fine, I’ll keep monitoring. But as soon as something changes, I’m telling her.”

Satisfied with the agreement, he wishes her luck and flashes back home.

* * *

 

You twist the engagement ring nervously as you sit on the edge of the couch, a pit in your stomach gnawing at you. Sans blinks in, greeting your warmly, but stops, asking you what’s wrong upon seeing your scowl.

“Why don’t you ask your girlfriend?” your words drip with pure venom.

Sans tilts his head in confusion and flinches from hurt, “what are you talking about?”

You immediately regret your words, knowing rationally that Sans is innocent, but that doesn’t stop the festering darkness within you. Sparks buzz on your fingers as your heavy heart tightens while you choke back a sob.

“Why didn’t you tell me about Alice?”

“what about her? we were together before i even met you-”

“DON’T LIE TO ME!” you scream, the lights flickering in wrath, “I know you slept with her!”

Sans’s eye sockets widen in realization.

“sugar that was months ago, when we were broken up” your fiancé tries to reason with you.

“But you didn’t _tell_ me! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“because we weren’t together! it was a meaningless one night stand and i don’t think it’s important! why does it even matter? i love you, and i only want you.”

Your head spins as the room fades in and out. You hear Sans’s words, but they hang in the air, the truth still stands.

“You should’ve told me! You’re supposed to tell me everything! If I’m going to be your wife, you can’t hide things from me!”

Sans clenches his fists and snaps, “like how you hid the fact that you killed my father?”

His words, pierces through your heart, the fog in your mind clearing. You can’t stand it, you can’t stand being in here with _him_  right now, you have to leave, you have to get out.

Realizing what he just said, all traces of anger fly out, his voice soft and tender, “sugar, i’m sor-”

“I’m going to Daniel’s,” you cut him off emotionlessly.

Sans doesn’t stop you as you grab your coat and your keys, slamming the door behind you, leaving Sans alone on a cool, moonless night.


End file.
